House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan unveiled the GOP spending plan this morning. Central to the alternative to President Obama’s 2013 budget is reforming entitlement programs like Medicare, a plan which Ryan showcased a few months ago. The Republican budget calls for only those over 55 getting the traditional Medicare “fee for service” coverage, and those under 55 to get government premium vouchers they could use to buy private insurance.
“We believe competition and choice should be the way forward versus price controls that lead to rationing,” said Ryan.
The GOP proposal would also repeal the Affordable Care Act which contains mandates Ryan called “disastrous.”
The Janesville Republican said the plan will reform the tax structure from the current six brackets, to a two rate system of 10-or-25 percent. Ryan also praised welfare reform passed in 1996 and said the GOP plan includes similar changes to create a “culture of self-sufficiency,” rather than a “culture of dependency.”
In a statement, White House spokesman Dan Pfeiffer said Ryan’s plan undermines Medicare, in order to pay for tax breaks for the rich: “It would shower the wealthiest few Americans with an average tax cut of at least $150,000, while preserving taxpayer giveaways to oil companies and breaks for Wall Street hedge fund managers.”
AUDIO: Brian Moon reports (1:06)
