reply from Carnahan on budget, social security, medicare

July 8, 2011


Dear Mr. R:

Thank you for contacting me to share your concerns about the budget proposal recently released by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.

As you know, Chairman Ryan's proposal would make a number of dramatic changes to the way our government functions. It would fundamentally change Medicare, shifting the costs of health onto seniors who have worked hard throughout their lives with the promise of quality health insurance in old age. Medicaid, which provides basic health insurance for children, the disabled, and the poor, would also be fundamentally altered. Eliminating these key pieces of the social safety net will do nothing to strengthen our economy or our society, and I firmly oppose these ideas.

The Budget Committee plan would go even further as well. Currently, government functions account for about 23% of the national economy, measured as GDP. Chairman Ryan's proposal would eventually limit government to merely 15% of GDP, meaning that the government could invest less in infrastructure repair and schools or adapt to meet changing circumstances.

Just as important as the essential programs like Medicare and Medicaid that this budget proposal does cut are the items it does not cut – tax breaks for those who need them least. Simply allowing the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans to expire, as I voted to do last year, would significantly reduce the deficit, allowing for key investments in education, transportation, and health care. Unfortunately, Chairman Ryan's proposal would extend rather than end these irresponsible tax cuts.

Reducing the deficit and debt are important objectives that we should work towards over time. While cuts to valuable programs will be necessary to reduce the deficit, we must target reductions on duplicative programs while preserving essential investments that create jobs and lay the foundation for a more prosperous economy. If we must make cuts to valuable programs, we must also be willing to achieve balance by eliminating tax breaks for individuals and corporations that need assistance the least.

Please be assured that I will keep your views in mind as Congress debates the budget and efforts to reduce the deficit.

I always appreciate hearing the views of constituents about issues facing Congress. Please feel free to contact my office if I can be of further assistance to you on this or any other matter of concern. I also hope you will find my website, carnahan.house.gov, a useful resource for keeping up with my work in Washington and the 3rd District of Missouri, and I welcome you to sign up for my e-newsletter at carnahan.house.gov/updates.

Sincerely,

Russ Carnahan

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Russ lost his district next time thru gop redistricting in Missouri

bipartisan ship: my dying rear end