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GOP Fright Fest: Senator Portman And The Ryan Budget

*Similar releases will be sent today targeting candidates in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Illinois, Arizona, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada and Indiana

Today, Paul Ryan, the architect of the extreme Ryan Budget, is set to be elected Speaker of the House. With Ryan leading the House, it is important to remember that Senator Rob Portman has supported the Ryan Budget, which would end Medicare as we know it and cut taxes for millionaires while risking raising them on the middle class – a plan that is downright scary for seniors and middle class families. In fact, Rob Portman has voted for the Ryan budget three times.

“Senator Portman has repeatedly voted for the Ryan budget that would have terrifying consequences for seniors and hardworking middle class families, and now that budget’s namesake is Speaker of the House,” said Sadie Weiner, DSCC Communications Director. “Rob Portman has shown that he is perfectly fine dismantling Medicare as we know it leaving seniors hanging in the balance with higher costs, and that’s just not right for Ohio.”

BACKGROUND:

PORTMAN HAS VOTED FOR THE RYAN BUDGET THREE TIMES AND CALLED IT A “SUBSTANTIVE PROPOSAL”

Portman Voted For The Ryan Budget Three Times. [CQ, 3/21/13; S.Amdt. 433 to S.Con.Res. 8, Vote 46, 3/21/13; CQ, 5/16/12; H.Con.Res. 112, Vote 98, 5/16/12; CQ, 5/25/11; H. Con. Res. 34, Vote 77, 5/25/11]

Portman: “Congressman Ryan’s Budget Plan Is A Substantive Proposal” That Will Cut Spending In Part By “Tackling Entitlement Reform.” “U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) today issued the following statement in response to the House Republican 2012 Budget Plan, prepared by U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, Chairman of the House Budget Committee: ‘Congressman Ryan’s budget plan is a substantive proposal that would help grow the economy and create jobs by addressing our record debt and deficits. It would cut $6.2 trillion in spending from President Obama’s budget plan over the next decade by tackling entitlement reform, weeding out wasteful spending, repealing and replacing the President’s onerous health care law, and putting in place pro-growth policies that will foster job creation. The House Republican plan demonstrates necessary leadership on the severe fiscal challenges our country faces, in contrast to President Obama’s budget plan, which is a political document that doubles the debt and rejects the serious recommendations of his own Fiscal Commission.’” [U.S. Senator Rob Portman, Press Release, 4/5/11]

THE RYAN BUDGET WOULD ALSO TURN MEDICARE INTO A VOUCHER PROGRAM AND RE-OPEN THE DONUT HOLE, RAISING COSTS FOR SENIORS

Reuters: The Ryan Plan “Calls For An End To The Guaranteed Benefit In Medicare And Replaces It With A System That Would Give Vouchers To Recipients To Pay For Health Insurance,” Which Could Increase Costs For Seniors.  “Ryan’s plan calls for an end to the guaranteed benefit in Medicare and replaces it with a system that would give vouchers to recipients to pay for health insurance. The risk in such a plan is that if healthcare costs rise faster than the value of the vouchers, seniors would have to pay the difference.” [Reuters, 8/12/12]

The Ryan Budget Repeals Provision That Closed Donut Hole in Medicare Prescription Drug Program. “Among other elements, the House GOP budget would repeal: The provisions that closed the ‘doughnut hole’ in Medicare Part D.” [Bipartisan Policy Center,3/12/13]

THE RYAN BUDGET WOULD CUT TAXES FOR THE WEALTHIEST, WHICH WOULD MEAN TAX INCREASES FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS OR MORE DEBT…

Center On Budget And Policy Priorities’ Robert Greenstein: The Ryan Budget “Would Likely Produce The Largest Redistribution Of Income From The Bottom To The Top In Modern U.S. History.” “The new Ryan budget is a remarkable document — one that, for most of the past half-century, would have been outside the bounds of mainstream discussion due to its extreme nature. In essence, this budget is Robin Hood in reverse — on steroids.  It would likely produce the largest redistribution of income from the bottom to the top in modern U.S. history and likely increase poverty and inequality more than any other budget in recent times (and possibly in the nation’s history).  It also would stand a core principle of the Bowles-Simpson fiscal commission’s report on its head — that policymakers should reduce the deficit in a way that does not increase poverty or widen inequality.” [Robert Greenstein, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 3/21/12]

CNN Money: “Millionaires Would Get A Sizable Tax Cut If Rep. Paul Ryan’s Budget Proposal Were To Become Law.”“Millionaires would get a sizable tax cut if Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget proposal were to become law. Those with incomes exceeding $1 million would enjoy an average tax cut of more than $200,000, according to Citizens for Tax Justice, a left-leaning group. And it could be even bigger if Congress doesn’t try to limit tax deductions, credits and preferences to offset the costs of the proposed tax cuts. Under the Ryan budget, released Tuesday, income would be taxed at only two rates, 10% and 25%. Currently, there are seven brackets ranging from 10% to 39.6%.” [CNN Money, 3/15/13]

  • Center for American Progress: “Only Two Possible Outcomes With the Ryan Plan: Tax Hike on Middle Class Or Massive Increase In The Debt.” “The current House Republican budget runs the same play again. They’ve promised lower rates, no revenue loss, and no way to make the numbers work. And just like the Romney tax plan, there are only two possible outcomes with the Ryan plan: a tax hike on the middle class or a massive increase in the debt. Either way, the plan offers enormous tax breaks for the rich—and either way, the American people were very clear that this was not the direction in which they wanted to go.” [Center for American Progress, 3/12/13]

…WHILE SLASHING MIDDLE CLASS INVESTMENTS

Center On Budget And Policy Priorities: The Ryan Budget “Proposed Very Deep Cuts, The Bulk Of Which Were In Programs That Serve Low- And Moderate-Income Americans.” “House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s new budget cuts $3.3 trillion over ten years (2015-2024) from programs that serve people of limited means. That’s 69 percent of its $4.8 trillion in total non-defense budget cuts. Not much has changed on this front from Chairman Ryan’s budget plan of a year ago, or the year before that.  Then, too, Chairman Ryan proposed very deep cuts, the bulk of which were in programs that serve low- and moderate-income Americans.” [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 4/8/14]

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