Washington, DC – Here is a statement from Ethan Rome, executive director of Health Care for America Now, on the letter sent to President Obama today by 107 House Democrats committed to protecting Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. The letter was led by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Keith Ellison (D-MN) and Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ), Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) and Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD):
“With their statement today, the House Democrats have accurately defined the debate as a stark choice between standing up for the middle class or following the Republican path that favors the wealthiest Americans and big corporations. Their letter sends a strong message to Congress about the right policies for America.
“We can’t cut Medicare and Medicaid benefits or compromise implementation of the Affordable Care Act. The health security provided by these programs is central to the economic security of America’s middle class and those working their way into it. These bedrock health care programs, along with Social Security, are essential to ensuring that everyone in this country has a fair shot at achieving the American Dream.
“We can’t cut our way to prosperity. We need revenue, not gimmicks. A balanced approach to the deficit begins with making corporations pay their fair share in taxes. We have to eliminate corporate loopholes and tax breaks that hurt our economy, like the one that rewards corporations with $150 billion a year for shipping jobs overseas. We should also put a check on the Wall Street traders who crashed our economy by applying a transaction tax that would help to slow high-frequency securities trading. This tax of only three pennies for every $100 in transactions would raise approximately $352 billion over the next 10 years.”
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Health Care for America Now, the nation’s leading grassroots health care coalition, led the fight to win health reform. HCAN works to promote the Affordable Care Act, protect Medicare and Medicaid, and keep Congress from being steamrolled by corporate special interests.