Stop Them

A message from Governor Howard Dean, Founder of Democracy for America:

I'm going to get straight to the point. If the so-called Super Committee votes to increase the age of Medicare eligibility from 65 to 67, it will completely erase all the gains we made in providing healthcare to every American under President Obama.

Medicare is the only universal healthcare program that exists in the United States of America. No one who supports moving back the age of eligibility can possibly be considered an advocate for universal health insurance.

In fact, if that happens, the legacy of the Democrats for the past four years will have been to do far more harm to the healthcare system than good.

By raising the age of eligibility from 65 to 67, hard working Americans who are in their 50's or 60's, and cannot afford insurance under the current system will have to wait two additional years before Medicare kicks in. They would be forced to stay in the private healthcare system - if they can afford it. 

I personally know people who are on crutches this year because they cannot afford the hip replacement they need until they turn 65 a year from now.

It also means that you'll have more people putting off care for an extended period of time and entering the system as more expensive Medicare recipients. This could actually increase overall spending on Medicare -- eliminating much or all of the "savings" the Super Committee may imagine they can achieve with these cuts.

This is bad policy and we have to stop it. I will personally not support any candidate for any office that attempts to cut back Medicare in this way. Democracy for America is preparing right now to run aggressive campaigns, including hard-hitting TV ads, against anyone -- Republican or Democrat -- who supports increasing the age of Medicare eligibility.

Please contribute $12 right now to fuel DFA's campaign and deliver the resources to win. 

We've succeed in bringing Washington politicians to their senses before and we can do it again. Because when we work together, we win.

Thank you for everything you do.

-Howard
Governor Howard Dean, MD
Founder, Democracy for America

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Take 23 Seconds to Send a Message

Cheryl says: It took me just 23 seconds to use this link to read and send a message to President Obama, John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid. Won't you take 23 seconds to let these decision-makers know what you think?

A message from Feminist Majority:

President Obama and Congressional leaders are entering a critical phase in the negotiations to raise the debt ceiling and prevent default on the Nation's legal obligations. Feminists must speak out loud and clear.

Please sign our letter and tell President Obama and the Congressional leaders they must not balance the nation's budget on the backs of women, children, the elderly, and the disabled.
Whether the Republicans like it or not, the budget deficits cannot be reduced by cutting spending alone. Revenue must be raised by increasing taxes on the wealthy, closing loopholes for major corporations, and ending federal subsidies to profit-bloated oil corporations.
The Republicans are refusing to raise taxes on the wealthy or major corporations even though House Republicans passed, in a straight party line vote, the 2012 Ryan budget which eliminates Medicare for future generations. Plus it both cuts drastically the Medicaid program by $750 billion and converts it to block grants to states. This means instead of eligible poverty-level people (such as pregnant women, children, elderly and disabled persons) having rights of access to benefits, they will be at the mercy of individual states.

Nor can we let our national leaders eliminate or drastically cut vitally needed women's programs such as both domestic and international reproductive health and family planning programs. This has nothing to do with cutting the budget. Every $1 spent on family planning saves the government some $4.
Now national media are reporting that the President may put Social Security on the table and that the Cost of Living adjustments could be reduced by a new calculation based on the Chained Consumer Price Index. This would result in a smaller cost of living adjustment (COLA) despite the fact that seniors' medical costs have been increasing at a rate higher than inflation. The average Social Security monthly payment to women is $1000. President Obama and Congressional Democrat leaders have stood strong for Social Security; this must not change now. Retired women need real COLA increases.
We must stand strong for family planning, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Let President Obama and Congressional leaders hear from you now.

For women's lives,

Eleanor Smeal
President
Feminist Majority

1600 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 801, Arlington, VA 22209 | 703.522.2214 |femmaj@feminist.org