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GOP centrists balk at Ryan Medicare shift
By Molly K. Hooper - 03/05/13 05:00 AM ET
House Republican centrists are furious that GOP leaders are considering abandoning their pledge not to change Medicare retirement benefits for people 55 years and older.
According to several sources, a handful of centrist GOP lawmakers attending a recent Tuesday Group luncheon erupted when Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) broke the news.
After agreeing to write a budget resolution that will balance the budget over the next decade, Ryan conceded that he might have to adjust the age to as high as 59.
“Paul Ryan was pretty clear that that could happen. You could have to take it up to a higher number like 56, 57, 59 ... it could be higher than 55, but he also said, ‘We don’t have any numbers yet,’ ” said a Republican lawmaker who attended the meeting.
The dwindling group of middle-of-the-road House Republican lawmakers decried the potential change in age because the party for the past two years has repeatedly cited 55 years and above as the untouched generation. Some of the members are also facing challenging reelection races next year.
“A lot of people had made commitments at 55. In other words, in the campaign [Republican vulnerable members] said it wouldn’t affect your Medicare for retirees or near retirees for those 55 and up ... and [if] this budget forces them to renege on that, that would be problematic for many,” said the GOP lawmaker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Both Mitt Romney and Ryan cited the 55 figure during their run for the White House last year.
House Democrats are salivating at the opportunity to run against the Ryan budget in the 2014 elections. In 2012, Democrats picked up eight House seats after highlighting the Ryan blueprint on the campaign trail.
Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/286161-centrists-balk-at-ryan-medicare-shift#ixzz2MfsYxV11
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