NCPSSM - National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
10/01/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/02/2024 09:12
In Debate, Walz Reassures Seniors the Democratic Ticket Has Their Backs
Tim Walz was the only one in tonight's vice presidential debate who sought to reassure seniors about their health security and costs. He touted the Biden-Harris' administration's successes in reducing seniors' prescription drug costs through the Inflation Reduction Act. He noted that the administration "negotiated drug prices with Medicare" for the first time in history.
J.D. Vance was silent on this issue, because Donald Trump has never seriously confronted Big Pharma on behalf of seniors or anyone else.
Walz reaffirmed that Kamala Harris will "protect and enhance" the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which benefits both near seniors and Medicare beneficiaries. He reminded the audience that Donald Trump tried to repeal the ACA and would have succeeded without one no vote by Senator John McCain.
J.D. Vance defended Trump for having nothing but "concepts of a (health care) plan" and tried to claim that the former president defended the Affordable Care Act when in truth he tried to rip health coverage from millions of Americans.
Little was said or asked about Social Security during the debate, but Vance did mention that his own grandmother benefited from Social Security. Unfortunately, his running mate, Donald Trump, cannot be trusted to preserve seniors' earned benefits. He once called Social Security a "Ponzi Scheme;" he tried to cut Social Security as president; and earlier this year he said that he's "open" to "cutting entitlements."
Tim Walz truly understands the value of Social Security. He has talked about how Social Security kept his family out of poverty when his father passed away when Walz was 19 years old. He and Kamala Harris have consistently pledged to protect Social Security and Medicare from cuts.
The GOP vice presidential candidate did nothing to reassure seniors that a Trump-Vance administration will defend their financial and health security. The record, the facts, and the promises of the Democratic ticket reinforce that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz have the backs of everyday Americans, the middle class, and our nation's roughly 60 million seniors.