Congressman Charles Bass

April 23, 2012

WASHINGTON – Congressman Charles F. Bass (NH-02) issued the following statement this afternoon after the Medicare Trustees issued their annual report on the Medicare and Social Security programs' long-term outlook.

The Trustees' 2012 Report stated that Medicare is still on a path to insolvency by 2024 and the Social Security program will be able to pay only a portion of promised benefits starting in 2033 – three years earlier than they predicted last year.

Bass said:

"The Medicare Trustees have once again proven that the only plan that ends Medicare and Social Security is the President's plan to do nothing.

"These programs are facing significant challenges, as outlined in the Trustees' annual report, and the American people want Congress to work on bipartisan solutions to preserve and protect these programs for current and future retirees. I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure a functioning Medicare and Social Security program, and will never let them go bankrupt, never weaken the programs, nor will I support any plan that would change the benefits for today's seniors or anyone over the age of 55.

"Doing nothing and hoping for a miracle cannot and should not be an option. I hope more of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will join me in this effort so we do not leave our children and grandchildren with a bankrupted program."

A copy of the Trustees' Report can be accessed at https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/ReportsTrustFunds/downloads//tr2012.pdf.

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