Upton Demands Cuts to Medicare Before Saving Health Care for 9 Million Children

LANSING, Mich., Oct. 20 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release:

Congressman Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) is standing in the way of a bipartisan deal to stabilize health care markets and save health care for 9 million children, including 100,000 in Michigan. To make matters worse, Upton is one of 30 Republican lawmakers who want to cut health care for seniors by demanding changes to Medicare and Medicaid before he agrees to save the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

The program, which passed in 1997 with bipartisan support, expired on September 30. A Georgetown University study found that 34% of children in Upton's 6th Congressional District are on CHIP/Medicaid.

In an October 19 editorial, The New York Times called out Upton as one of the key Republicans obstructing the bipartisan health deal, noting that "these same lawmakers who are so tightfisted with children's medical care want to slash taxes on wealthy families with no effort to offset that loss of revenue." Earlier this year, Upton was the architect of the House Republican health care repeal, which would have caused prescription drug and insurance costs to skyrocket and left more than 20 million without health care altogether.

"Fred Upton has shown his true colors on health care this year. Whenever he's had the chance, he's pushed bills that would raise health care and prescription drug costs for millions, while giving the wealthy and drug companies that fund his campaign big breaks in return. In his latest political stunt, Upton has sunk to using 9 million children as a bargaining chip to win health care cuts for seniors through the Medicare and Medicaid they depend on. Michigan deserves members of Congress who will fight hard to make sure that seniors, children, and all people have affordable, quality health care," said Brandon Dillon, Michigan Democratic Party Chair.