Democrats are launching a broad effort to drive a wedge into the House GOP using Paul Ryan’s plan to replace Medicare with a voucher system and already at least two lawmakers are looking very skittish on the GOP proposal.
The Washington Post’s Greg Sargent highlights quotes from Rep. Dave McKinley (R-WV) and Denny Rehberg (R-MT) in the local press in which they express serious concerns about the Medicare overhaul’s effect on seniors. Both voted against the GOP budget, two of only four Republicans to do so.
“The Congressional Budget Office determined that some of the out-of-pocket costs could double for seniors and that sent up a red flag for me that we need to look at it,” McKinley told the Charleston Daily Mail, adding he was “uncomfortable” with the idea.
Rehberg told the Great Falls Tribune that “there are still too many unanswered questions with regard to Medicare reform, and I simply won’t support any plan until I know for a fact that Montana’s seniors will be protected.”
Benjy Sarlin
Benjy Sarlin is a reporter for Talking Points Memo and co-writes the campaign blog, TPM2012. He previously reported for The Daily Beast/Newsweek as their Washington Correspondent and covered local politics for the New York Sun.
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