Democrat Kathy Hochul's special-election victory on Tuesday in New York's 26th Congressional District—a conservative district where just last year the GOP candidate claimed 76 percent of the vote—is sending shock waves through the Republican Party.
Voters Reject Ryan Medicare Plan
The reason this single congressional victory is causing so many ripples is that it was the first real political test of the plan proposed by U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) to dismantle Medicare and replace it with a voucher system that would force seniors to purchase private health insurance and pay for a larger share of their medical coverage and expenses.
Hochul campaigned squarely on the issue, turning the election into a referendum on the Republican budget proposal in general and the Ryan Medicare plan in particular.
The message from voters was decisive and unmistakable. In a district where Democrats historically receive little more than an "also ran" in congressional elections, voters rejected Republican budget priorities and entitlement strategies, giving Hochul 47 percent of the vote in a three-way race against Republican Jane Corwin (43 percent) and Independent Jack Davis (9 percent).
Republicans Criticize Democrats, Defend Ryan Medicare Plan
Republicans, led by Ryan, are accusing Democrats of using "Mediscare" tactics for raising legitimate questions about the GOP plan to end Medicare as we know it, and to leave seniors holding the bag at a time in their lives when they are least prepared to cope with the added expense.
Ryan, a Republican congressman from Wisconsin, said Hochul's victory came as a result of the Democratic strategy to “shamelessly distort and demagogue the issue, trying to scare seniors to win an election.” He promised that by the next congressional election in November 2012, “the American people are going to know they’ve been lied to.”
Ryan Medicare Plan Would Leave Seniors Unprotected
What seems to be worrying Ryan and many of his Republican colleagues is that the American people are giving every sign that they already know they've been lied to—by Ryan and other members of Congress who are backing his budget proposal and Medicare plan.
Ryan claims, for example, that his Medicare reorganization plan would give seniors the same kind of quality medical coverage that members of Congress receive. It's not true. Not even close.
According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the amount of money seniors would receive for private health insurance under the Republican Medicare plan would cover only about one-third of their health expenses by 2030, leaving many unable to afford essential medical care.
Voters Deserve Honest Answers on Ryan Medicare Plan
Judging by the results of the special election in New York this week, Americans, regardless of their politics, aren't willing to support a plan that would leave seniors with inadequate health care. Chances are voters won't be any more supportive of Republican plans to compromise Social Security and to cut Medicaid—a program that is vital for millions of low-income people, including many seniors— by 44 percent over the next decade.
Why should they, when the politicians proposing such severe cuts are not being honest about the effects those changes will have on the people who depend on the services they want to reduce or eliminate?