Montana Democratic Party: Despite Voting to Undermine Medicare, Daines Now Trying to Change His Tune

HELENA, Montana, Oct. 1 -- The Montana Democratic Party issued the following news release:

In a new AARP survey, Senator Steve Daines said, "I'll always protect Medicare for our seniors...I strongly oppose any effort to cut spending for this program." But Daines has repeatedly voted to undermine Medicare and other vital programs that Montana's seniors rely on.

While in the Senate, Daines voted in favor of cutting hundreds of billions of dollars in funding for Medicare, to raise the eligibility age, and to turn Medicare into a voucher program. In 2017, Daines championed the Republican tax plan that disproportionately benefited massive corporations and the wealthy, while his party threatened to pay for it by slashing funding for Social Security and Medicare. Daines also voted repeatedly to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would reopen the Medicare Part D prescription drug donut hole, and could increase costs for seniors.

Now, Daines is throwing his support behind President Trump's plan to suspend the payroll roll tax even though it was creating "uncertainty among older Americans and the general public about Social Security and its ability to pay promised benefits."

Montana's seniors can't count on Daines to look out for them - his record shows he won't - because he is too busy looking out for his corporate buddies.

"The COVID-19 crisis has disproportionately affected our seniors, yet Steve Daines is playing politics with their health care when they need it most," said MDP Communications Advisor Christina Wilkes. "Montana's seniors deserve a Senator who will fight for them in Washington D.C. instead of the corporate special interests."