Trump Goes After Health Care for Seniors Proposes $1 Trillion in Cruel Cuts From Medicare, Medicaid

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- The Alliance for Retired Americans issued the following statement by Executive Director Richard Fiesta regarding the release of President Trump's FY 2020 Budget:

"When Donald Trump was campaigning for President in 2016, he pledged clearly and repeatedly that he would not cut Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid. With the budget presented today, two-thirds of that commitment was cruelly thrown out the window.

"The 2020 Trump Administration budget cuts $845 billion from Medicare. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell foreshadowed this action late last year. Republicans want to cut the health care benefits seniors have earned to pay for the 2017 tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

"Adding insult to injury, his budget would also overhaul Medicaid by turning more power over to states in a misguided effort to save another $241 billion, eliminating guaranteed health care for the most vulnerable in our country. Millions of Medicaid recipients are seniors and people with disabilities.

"The 4.4 million members of the Alliance for Retired Americans will work with our allies on Capitol Hill starting today to make sure this budget is dead on arrival.

"We will also ensure that retirees know that their earned Medicare benefits are once again on the line and that they must pay close attention to which candidates for president, the Senate and the House of Representatives can be trusted to protect health care for older Americans."