Today’s middle-class families are struggling to pay for exploding health care costs, rising college tuitions, and high energy bills. Many Americans are also facing the dismal prospect of finding their pensions increasingly at risk. These realities make saving for retirement an even greater challenge.

Social Security and Medicare are solemn pledges to our seniors – a promise of a safe and secure source of retirement income and health care for Americans. Protecting Social Security and Medicare is among my top priorities.

Fighting the Attack on Seniors
House Republicans voted to pass a budget to end Medicare as we know it and dramatically raise seniors’ health costs. AARP stated the plan, “rather than tackling sky-rocketing health care costs, would simply shift these costs onto the backs of people in Medicare.” I was proud to join every Democrat in the House in voting against this misguided plan.

Defending Medicare
Their plan immediately raises costs for seniors, who would face higher prescription drug costs as they end health reform’s provisions closing the ‘donut hole’ by 2020. And, they eliminate the new free preventive care benefit under Medicare, including the free annual wellness visit. They would cut funding for Medicaid and turn it into a block grant, denying many vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities who have exhausted their assets access to long term care and forcing cuts in the quality and safety of nursing homes.
The Republican budget breaks the promise that after a lifetime of work you can depend on Medicare to protect you in retirement. Under their plan, everyone currently under age 55 would not be enrolled in Medicare, but would be forced to buy private insurance with a voucher that decreases in value each year. According to the nonpartisan Congressional budget office, their plan would more than double a typical senior’s health care costs in 2022 – increasing an individual’s out-of-pocket health costs by more than 6,000

Preserving Social Security
For 75 years, Social Security has provided seniors with the peace of mind that comes from a secure retirement. While Congress must address the long-term funding challenges to Social Security, any reforms must be focused on ensuring its long term stability. I will oppose any effort to privatize or weaken Social Security Today’s middle-class families are struggling to pay for exploding health care costs, rising college tuitions, and high energy bills.  Many Americans are also facing the dismal prospect of finding their pensions increasingly at risk.  These realities make saving for retirement an even greater challenge.

Learn more about how health insurance reform works for seniors>>

View Press Releases On Seniors

Pelosi Statement on Passage of the Bipartisan Payroll Tax Cut Extension

Pelosi Statement on Agreement to Extend Payroll Tax Cut

Pelosi Statement on Social Security COLA

Pelosi Remarks at Press Conference with Women Members of Congress Calling for Deficit Reduction Agreement that Strengthens Medicare and Social Security

Pelosi Statement on the 45th Anniversary of Medicare’s Implementation Tomorrow

» Read More about Seniors