Democrats Propose Budget, Oppose Obama's Plan

Although President Obama has been in talks with Republicans over cutting federal spending to reduce the budget deficit, Senate Democrats are only proposing minor spending cuts, according to the latest reports from Washington.

The Senate Democrats provided a budget proposal for the first time in four years. The budget reduces government spending by $975 billion over the next decade and $275 billion of the overall cuts would come from health care spending, according to The Washington Post.

The cuts outlined are not in line with what Obama offered to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) in December and other Republicans this week. The president had proposed $1.8 trillion over the next decade with $400 billion in cuts coming from Medicare reforms.

Republicans revealed a very different budget proposal on Tuesday, which calls for a repeal of the health care law and proposes revamping Medicare to a system where future retirees are given a federal subsidy to pay for their own health care.

The budget from the Democrats would eliminate the Medicare physician payment system; however, no replacement to the sustainable growth-rate formula has been proposed.

Based on surveys at the end of 2012, American voters, among all political parties are opposed to spending cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. According to a Public Opinion Strategies poll, 74% of Democrats, 58% of Independents and 69% of Republicans reject reducing the amount hospitals receive from providing services to patients who have Medicare or Medicaid.

According to the Post, Democrats also oppose Obama’s biggest selling point to Republicans, which involves Social Security. The president is proposing a stingier inflation measurement for Social Security payments, which would mean smaller increases. The American public also strongly opposes cuts to Social Security benefits.

According to an Associated Press-GfK poll in August 2012, the majority of people would prefer to raise taxes or the retirement age than cut benefits.

Read more:

Democrats Slow to Back Obama on Medicare and Social Security Cuts — Post

Senate Democrats Release First Budget in Four Years — USA Today

Senate Dems Propose $275B in Healthcare Cuts — Modern Healthcare