CCAGW blasts congressmen for voting to expand entitlement program 

(Washington, D.C.) —The 91,450 members and supporters of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) in Texas today chastised Reps. X, X, and X for going back on their word and voting for the $400 billion Medicare bill.  In September, the Congressmen signed on to a letter by Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) to Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) stating their intention to vote against H.R. 1, the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act, if certain provisions were not met.  Despite the fact that the provisions were not met. Reps. X, X, and X reversed their course and voted in favor of the legislation.

“It is disappointing to see members who have signed a letter, promising to act responsibly for today’s seniors and future generations, give into political pressure and vote for bad legislation,” CCAGW President Tom Schatz said.  “On this measure, these members were not true fiscal conservatives.”

The bill, which passed the Senate today by a vote of 55-44, was approved by the House on Saturday, 220-215.  Of the 13 co-signers of Rep. Toomey’s letter, eight members abandoned their commitment to vote only for a bill that truly reformed Medicare, thus affecting the outcome of the final vote.  The signers demanded that four specific reforms be included in the final version of the bill: no price controls on the drug industry; allow Medicare to compete with private insurers after 2010; an expansion of health care savings accounts; and a cost control feature to guarantee the bill will not exceed $400 billion over the next 10 years.

“The demands included in the Toomey letter would have produced a much more taxpayer friendly bill,” Schatz continued.  “By caving in at the end, the eight members who changed their vote have set a costly precedent for fiscal conservatives who take a stand on other issues.”

The final bill did not include any comprehensive market-oriented reforms.  The health care savings accounts proved to be limited, and while a cost-containment feature is included, it is a mere formality that does not guarantee that the final cost of the legislation will not exceed $400 billion over 10 years.

“Congress had a chance to bring historic, commonsense free market reforms to the Medicare program,” Schatz concluded.  “Instead of taking advantage of this opportunity, Congress mortgaged the future in order to fulfill a campaign promise today.  Members turned their backs on those not yet old enough to vote in favor of a few extra votes next fall.”

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.