House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) says Congress must reduce the nation’s debt without forcing those who are retired or soon will be to sacrifice.
In an op-ed for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Wednesday, Ryan wrote that cutting spending should be a top priority for lawmakers, but not at the expense of today’s seniors. He said that any plan must “make no changes to those in or near retirement. Government needs to reorient its policies without forcing citizens to reorganize their lives. Reforms must be gradual, with no disruptions for those in or near retirement.”
GOP leaders have criticized President Obama for refusing to address entitlement reform in his 2012 budget. Ryan, in particular, has lobbied for Social Security and Medicare reform, arguing that the two programs are headed for insolvency in the near future.
“Social Security’s annual cash deficits are now permanent. Medicare’s unfunded liabilities are in the tens of trillions of dollars,” Ryan wrote. “Unless we update these programs for the 21st century, they will go bankrupt, breaking promises to current retirees and depriving younger workers of a secure future.”
As a member of President Obama’s debt commission, however, Ryan voted against the panel’s plan to reform Social Security as a means of eradicating the nation’s $14 trillion debt. Ryan defended his vote on the grounds that the plan called for raising taxes and did not do enough to curb healthcare spending.
In his op-ed, Ryan called for making “health and retirement security programs not just sustainable but better - ensuring real security, less waste and greater access to quality, affordable health care.”