Paul Ryan's new 'Medicare-killing' budget: Will it help the GOP?
Just as he did last year, the Wisconsin Republican again ignites a feud with a spending plan that calls for overhauling a popular, decades-old entitlement program
In a risky election-year move, House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has unveiled a sure-to-be-controversial spending plan that calls for a drastic reshaping of the nation's largest entitlement programs. Ryan says his package of spending cuts and tax changes would eliminate deficits by 2040. But Democrats are ridiculing the plan as an attempt to lavish tax breaks on the rich, and make the poor pay for them through reductions in spending on Medicare and other social programs. Indeed, says David Kurtz at Talking Points Memo, the GOP is now "firmly and irrevocably on record as planning to dismantle Medicare." Of course, Ryan's plan is sure to put the budget front and center as the 2012 election season heats up. Which side stands to be the big winner?
Ryan just did Democrats a huge favor: Last year, Ryan and other GOP leaders got their colleagues to "hold hands and jump off the cliff together," says Steve Benen at MSNBC, by voting for "the party's right-wing, Medicare-killing plan." It was a near suicidal act — "the attack ads wrote themselves." Now the incredibly unpopular proposals are back, and Ryan is asking Republicans to vote once again for a plan that guts Medicare to give "a big tax cut to the wealthy." Vulnerable GOP incumbents might as well start packing their bags now.
"Why the House GOP may not love its own budget plan"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Actually, this shows voters Republicans are the grown-ups: Ryan's budget is "coherent, responsible, and serious," says Yuval Levin at National Review. His attempt to enact long-overdue Medicare reform is "the most needful and essential of his prescriptions," and it shows "why the coming election matters." Either we can return Democrats to power and continue "the same blind march" toward fiscal catastrophe, or we can go with the GOP, and have "a genuine cause for hope."
At least this budget makes the choices clear: Ryan's budget is a laundry list of things Republicans love and Democrats hate, says Rick Newman at U.S. News. In addition to the Medicare overhaul, Ryan calls for repealing Obama's health-care reform law, and reversing planned defense spending cuts called for in last year's debt-ceiling agreement. "It's not clear if voters would ever tolerate the magnitude of change Ryan is proposing. But he has framed the issues accurately."
"5 good ideas in Paul Ryan's budget"
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
AI is causing concern among the LGBTQ community
In the Spotlight One critic believes that AI will 'always fail LGBTQ people'
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
'Modern presidents exercise power undreamed of by the Founding Fathers'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 15, 2024
Cartoons Monday's cartoons - flamingos in flight, taxes, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published