ICYMI: Atlanta Voice: “GOP control would put Georgia’s seniors on chopping block”

“Republicans’ plans are a slap in the face to hundreds of thousands of Georgia seniors who would lose their income and health care without these vital programs.”

As Georgia Republicans continue to stand behind the GOP proposal to sunset all federal legislation in five years, The Atlanta Voice published an op-ed from Democratic Party of Georgia Senior Caucus Chair Gloria Jenkins condemning the Republican economic proposal that could put 1.8 million Georgians’ Medicare coverage and 1.9 million Georgians’ Social Security payments on the chopping block.

Jenkins also praised President Biden and Democrats for putting forward proposals that would bolster Social Security and responsibly reduce the deficit without touching Medicare or Social Security by making billionaires pay their fair share in taxes. 

The Republican plan would raise taxes on over 40% of Georgians – including seniors, retirees, teachers, and firefighters – and sunset Social Security and Medicare in five years if they take power. Instead of condemning the anti-seniors plan, Georgia Republicans have made clear that they would vote to strip away Georgia’s seniors’ health and income benefits by campaigning with the architect of the proposal, National Republican Senate Campaign Chair Rick Scott. 

Read Jenkins’ op-ed here: 

Jenkins: GOP control would put Georgia’s seniors on chopping block

The Atlanta Voice / May 12, 2022

• Like so many Georgians, I’ve spent my life paying into Medicare and Social Security benefits that I knew I would rely on when I retired. I worked hard and paid my dues knowing I’d be supported when I got older – to me, that’s part of the American dream.

• So it’s appalling to me that Republicans want to dash that dream by endangering Medicare and Social Security for millions of Georgians if they become the majority in Congress this November. Republican Senate campaign leader Rick Scott made clear that the GOP plans to sunset ALL federal legislation in five years, including Medicare and Social Security, if they take power in November — and Georgia Republicans, including Herschel Walker, are standing with him.

• Republicans’ plans are a slap in the face to hundreds of thousands of Georgia seniors who would lose their income and health care without these vital programs. It’s shameful that Georgia Republicans are playing politics at the expense of one of our state’s most vulnerable communities. 

• Why haven’t Georgia Republicans come out and denounced this agenda? Because they know they would be a rubber stamp for the GOP’s plans to target seniors if their party takes the majority in Washington. Just a few weeks ago, they campaigned with the plan’s architect – Rick Scott – signaling their endorsement of this dangerous plan. 

• I’m grateful that at least this disastrous plan will not come to fruition while we have Democrats in office. Instead of leaving seniors out in the cold, President Biden and Democrats are working to make sure billionaires pay their fair share so seniors won’t lose our benefits – or have our taxes hiked, as Republicans also propose. President Biden and Democrats are focused on taking steps to lower costs for Americans: taking executive actions to help lower gas prices, manufacturing more in America, breaking up supply chain bottlenecks that are raising prices, promoting competition, and further reducing health care costs by strengthening the Affordable Care Act and Social Security. The contrast couldn’t be clearer: Democrats are on seniors’ side, and Republicans are not.
  
• Georgia seniors have worked hard our whole lives for our families and our communities. We deserve better than representatives who see our hard-earned benefits as disposable. But if there’s one thing Georgia seniors always do, it’s make our voices heard at the ballot box – and we will remember Republicans’ plan to jeopardize Medicare and Social Security this November.

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