Medicare

Ryan: Republicans Should Double Down On My Budget

Brian Beutler | September 27, 2011, 2:06PM

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) wants Congress to retain control of the fees that the United States Patent and Trademark Office collects and divert them to other government programs.

In a speech at Stanford University's conservative Hoover Institution, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) offered a recitation of his controversial, alternative vision for the country's social safety net.

But despite the backlash Republicans have faced taken since they voted overwhelmingly in the spring to adopt his approach, Ryan says now's the time for conservatives and GOP candidates to renew their support for that vision, not to walk away from it.

[W]e took a few dings at first, we survived," Ryan admitted. "The Democrats' tried the same old scare tactics for a few months, and in the first special election that took place after our budget passed, we learned a costly lesson. We learned that unless we back up our ideas with courage, and defend them in the face of attacks, we will lose. But once we learned that lesson and started to get our message out... well, a funny thing happened: People listened. They learned that our plan did not affect those in or near retirement; that it guaranteed coverage options like the ones members of Congress enjoy; and that choice and competition would drive costs down and quality up. They also learned more about the Democrats' plans for Medicare, and they didn't like what they heard."

Ryan went on.

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Paul Ryan

Paul Ryan Doubles Down On Medicare Plan, Likens It To Clinton Budgets

Benjy Sarlin | May 18, 2011, 12:23PM

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)

After treading lightly around his plan to cut and privatize Medicare in a speech Monday, Paul Ryan doubled down on the proposal Wednesday in an op-ed for the Christian Science Monitor.

While the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office concludes that Ryan's plan would achieve its savings by forcing seniors to pay thousands of dollars more in medical costs within a decade of its passage, Ryan claimed that those "demonizing" his budget as a blow to the safety net have it all wrong.

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Paul Ryan

GOP Looks To Shock Failing Medicare Plan Back To Life With New Message

Benjy Sarlin | May 15, 2011, 7:36PM

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)

Beset by a constant barrage of attacks from the left and increasing unease on the right, House Republican leaders plan to relaunch their proposal to turn Medicare into a privatized voucher program. Leading the charge will be the GOP budget's architect, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), who is scheduled to deliver an address on the topic at the Economic Club of Chicago on Monday.

House Republicans have yet to find their voice on health care ever since passing their budget last month and the new push by leadership comes amid confusion over whether their leaders have abandoned their original plan entirely. Ryan will have to choose his message carefully in order to reassure the conservative base that the GOP's appetite for cuts is undiminished while reassuring moderate Republicans in swing districts that the issue won't wreck their re-election prospects.

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Path to Prosperity

Paul Ryan Gets Booed By Constituents For Opposing Tax Hikes On Rich (VIDEO)

Benjy Sarlin | April 20, 2011, 2:37PM

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), architect of the House GOP's budget, drew a resounding chorus of boos at a town hall appearance in his district after touting the benefits of tax cuts for the wealthy.

In a video posted by ThinkProgress, an attendee at the event this week told Ryan that he believes the rich should pay higher taxes to help close the deficit and strengthen Social Security.

"The middle class is disappearing right now," he said. "During this time of prosperity, the top 1 percent was taking about 10 percent of the total annual income, but yet today we are fighting to not let the tax breaks for the wealthy expire?"

Ryan protested that "We do tax the top," before being drowned out by the audience's jeers.

Polls have shown increasing taxes on the wealthy enjoys strong public support across the political spectrum despite near-universal opposition from GOP lawmakers. Democrats have been hammering Republicans on the issue in recent weeks, jumping off Ryan's budget proposal, which cuts taxes for the rich while making major cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.