Local leaders and Pennsylvania seniors gathered in Harrisburg today to call out the Republican agenda to sunset Social Security and Medicare—and the devastation that candidates Oz and McCormick would cause for PA families
PENNSYLVANIA — Today, Chairwoman Rogette Harris, Commissioner Shaela Ellis, Mayor Ciera Dent and Capital Area Retired PSEA President Mary Wills joined together in Harrisburg to highlight the GOP’s devastating agenda to sunset Social Security and Medicare, and what this means for Pennsylvania’s upcoming Senate race. The group highlighted the importance of these crucial programs, and clearly laid out just how disastrous it would be if Mehmet Oz or David McCormick were sent to the Senate to be a vote for this cruel GOP agenda.
As Republicans continue these attacks on Pennsylvania families and seniors, President Biden and Democrats are working to reduce deficits without touching Medicare and Social Security by making the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share in taxes – while also lowering costs for working families.
See below for quotes and photos from the event.
“These plans will not only be disastrous, but also highlight why this year’s U.S. Senate race in PA is important. The future of Medicare and Social Security is at stake,” said Rogette Harris, Dauphin County Democratic Committee Chairwoman. “Today, the Democratic Party of Pennsylvania has come together to send a very clear message: we must protect Medicare and Social Security. Democrats will not sacrifice these vital programs of economic and health security to give tax breaks to the wealthy. The GOP is telling us that if they are successful this year, they are going to raise taxes on working families of Pennsylvania.”
“[The GOP] plan also includes provisions that could sunset Medicare and Social Security, jeopardizing the health care and retirement benefits that millions of Pennsylvania seniors have spent their entire lives earning,” said Mary Wills, retired Harrisburg Area Educator and President of the Capital Area Pennsylvania State Education Association. “This was extremely disturbing to me for several reasons. First, Social Security and Medicare are so important to me as a retiree. Social Security was a necessity since my husband retired because we needed to fill the gap in his income because of his small pension so we could have a secure and dignified retirement. It goes without saying why Medicare is important for any person over the age of 65.”
“If Medicare and social security are phased out, this will affect our family members, our neighbors and the people that we care about,” said Commissioner Shaela Ellis. “Programs like Medicare and Social Security are essential in providing access to care for some of our most vulnerable and underserved communities here in Pennsylvania. These are the things that are on the ballot.”
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