So, some of the political spin by Republicans is that Medicare has been cut by the President. That is not accurate. That is GOP rhetoric. We know all to well how Republicans want to eliminate the social protections for our seniors and disabled. Medicare is not protected by the Social Security Act. It is different legislation. Medicare was signed into law by President Johnson on July 30, 1965.
On this day in 1965, (click here) President Lyndon B. Johnson signs Medicare, a health insurance program for elderly Americans, into law. At the bill-signing ceremony, which took place at the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, former President Harry S. Truman was enrolled as Medicare's first beneficiary and received the first Medicare card. Johnson wanted to recognize Truman, who, in 1945, had become the first president to propose national health insurance, an initiative that was opposed at the time by Congress....
Former President Harry S. Truman was the first person to sign up for Medicare. At the Medicare/Medicaid bill signing ceremony on July 30, 1965, in Independence, Mo., President Lyndon B. Johnson enrolled Truman as the first Medicare beneficiary and gave him the first Medicare card. Truman’s wife Bess was the second person enrolled in Medicare.
President Harry S. Truman (click here) is credited with being the first person to suggest that a national health care program through the Social Security system was needed for people. In a November 1945 address to Congress, Truman called for the creation of a national health insurance program to be run by the federal government. He wanted the program to be open to everyone with no enrollment requirement. Beneficiaries would pay a monthly fee for the program, which would cover any and all costs for medical services, including doctors, hospitals, labs and dental services. The government would pay the costs of the doctors participating in the program.
McConnell will filibuster any legislation. He doesn't care, any reason to filibuster is a good reason. "The Sequester" has been a Republican political strategy before it ever was written.
No one can deny that. It is known.
End of discussion about blaming. If an Obama Administration proffered it as a method to end the dead lock, the proposal existed within the House already.
The nation now knows where this horrible idea came from. There is no shifting baseline on BLAME. It came from the Republican Tea Party and Speaker Boner caved because of the Hastert Rule. That same extremist wing of the Republican House, lead by Eric Cantor, then made a fool of the Speaker when they walked away from Plan B that was to extend the Bush Tax Cuts for incomes $1 million or less per year. They went home for Christmas instead. (click here)
...Both sides still hope the other will either be blamed by voters (click here) for the cuts or cave in before the worst effects - like air traffic chaos or furloughs for tens of thousands of federal employees - start to bite in the coming weeks.
Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, all but killed any hopes that President Barack Obama and top leaders of Congress can hammer out a deal in talks that begin shortly after 10 a.m. EST (1500 GMT).
“I'm happy to discuss other ideas to keep our commitment to reducing Washington spending at today's meeting. But there will be no last-minute, back-room deal and absolutely no agreement to increase taxes,” McConnell said....
