Every federal election year, Democratic political candidates try to brand Republicans as Social Security and Medicare slashers.
At a campaign event at Democratic headquarters on Wilkes-Barre's Public Square on Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey signaled 2024 won’t be any different.
Casey ripped his opponent, Republican former hedge fund manager Dave McCormick, on both issues and others.
Casey said the future of healthcare, home health care, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are all on the ballot in November in his race and the presidential race. He said McCormick is on the wrong side of each issue.
“My opponent, and I don't agree on any of these issues … He'll be a vote for the Republican efforts to privatize Social Security, which they've tried for years.
Senate Republicans tried privatization in 2005. Casey called that “an obnoxious, stupid idea” that McCormick wants to revive.
“We've defeated that effort year after year, but they still they still want to privatize Social Security, they want to voucherize Medicare, and they want to decimate Medicaid. And he'll be a vote for all of that,” Casey said.
Casey said McCormick also wants to repeal the federal law that capped insulin at $35 a prescription for people on Medicare Part D plans. The three-term senator predicted he’ll win.
“It's going to be a long, tough race, but I'm going to beat him in this race. I'm going to make sure that I do but in the meantime, we're going to have a big debate about these issues,” he said.
Casey did not cite any specific evidence for his claims. His campaign later cited past McCormick public appearances when the Republican talked about current Social Security and Medicare benefits being unsustainable and that children won't "be able to live under the same entitlements that all of us here are."
McCormick spokeswoman Elizabeth Gregory said Casey and the Democrats are making the claims up “out of thin air.”
Gregory pointed to Casey’s vote for Obamacare, which slashed Medicare spending by more than $700 billion.
She said McCormick will protect Social Security and Medicare.
