--Opening Medicare to Retirees Over 55

WHEREAS people between the ages of 55 and 64 are being particularly hard hit by layoffs, involuntary early retirement and subsequent age discrimination when looking for new employment; and

WHEREAS Democrats will be campaigning for state and national public offices in 2010 and 2012; and

WHEREAS should a health care bill pass with no visible benefits for anyone until 2013, Democratic PCOs will be charged with the task of explaining through two election cycles why our health care system is still a major disaster for the unemployed and uninsured with continually escalating costs and decreasing benefits; and

WHEREAS Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) has proposed an amendment to the Senate HELP bill to open Medicare to early retirees over age 55(1); and

WHEREAS a large and visible cohort of people undeniably benefiting from health care reform initiated by Democrats will benefit not only those people but also the political prospects of the Democratic Party; and

WHEREAS adoption of this amendment should once and for all spike the Republican lie that Democratic health care proposals will harm Medicare; and

WHEREAS an increase in the number of people benefiting from Medicare (a program which is so popular that even older demonstrators against health care reform are insisting that reformers should not mess with it) will create a demand for its further expansion;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 11th Legislative District Democrats ask that President Obama endorse and Senators Murray and Cantwell cosponsor and publicly advocate the Rockefeller amendment to expand Medicare to early retirees.

Copies of this resolution shall be sent to the King County Democrats Central Committee, the Washington State Democrats Central Committee, President Obama, Senator Harry Reid, Senators Murray and Cantwell, and State Senator Karen Keiser.

Submitted to the 11th Legislative District Democrats for consideration at the meeting of October 20, 2009.

Disposition:
Date:

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REFERENCES
(1)Rockefeller Amendment #C26 to Title I, Subtitle G (Role of Public Programs) to America's Healthy Future Act, p. 260. This amendment would add the option for early retirees between ages 55 and 64 to buy into Medicare using language consistent with the concepts included in the Medicare Early Access Act (S. 960).