Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters Friday that he is “confident” that a deal worked out between parties to reduce the nation’s deficit will include tweaks to the Medicare system.
“All of this talk about how you can do anything about such a big crisis…without Medicare is nonsense,” he said. “Medicare will be a part of the solution.”
The Kentucky Republican later predicted that Congress will have altered the structure of Medicare significantly before next year’s election.
McConnell’s number two, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), along with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and others on Capitol Hill have been meeting with Vice President Joe Biden and other White House officials to try and work out a compromise on how best to cut into the nation’s $14.3 trillion debt level. Republicans are adamant that a deal should feature spending cuts and a guarantee from Democrats not to raise taxes.
In addition, GOP leaders have pledged to delay an upcoming vote to raise the country’s borrowing limit until Democrats agree to spending cuts and budget reforms, as well as tax reforms that would lower top rates on businesses.
McConnell today stopped short of outlining specifically what it would take to get him to vote for an increase in the debt ceiling, but said that short and long-term spending caps, as well as Medicare reform must be on the table.
“I have a sense of what I think is significant and I’m not gonna get more specific.”
Some Republicans, including House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), have argued that each new dollar of borrowing should be offset by a dollar in spending cuts.
McConnell also called it a “mistake” for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to adjourn the Senate for Memorial Day recess without having first put forth a Democratic budget plan. As a result mainly of GOP concerns that the White House would attempt to usher through appointees next week, Reid agreed to hold three pro-forma sessions over the next ten days.