Recently, U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Camas., defended her vote to end Medicare as we know it. I guess she is too young to remember why Medicare was instituted in 1965.
Now Republicans want to replace Medicare with a coupon to buy private insurance. Good luck, seniors.
Addressing the federal deficit is a real problem that needs both spending cuts and revenue revision. Republicans refuse to re-institute higher tax rates on incomes over $250,000 or eliminate $4 billion in tax subsidies for big oil. Why? They are persuaded with campaign contributions.
Some income tax rates are lower than anytime since World War II. Republicans use the argument that taxing the wealthy decreases the opportunities for jobs. Untrue, since job growth was better under the higher rates of the 1990s and worse under the lower rates of the Bush years.
