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Pelosi: Does GOP want Medicare as Trophy for Asking Wealthy Pay Their Fair Share?

Washington, D.C. – House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi held a press conference during which she delivered remarks on the fiscal cliff and answered reporters’ questions on House Republicans leaving town without addressing the middle income tax cuts.  Below are excerpts from the Leader’s remarks and accompanying video:  

VIDEO:

Video of Leader Pelosi’s comments can be found at 5:48 and 25:30

Medicare Eligibility Age:

“It really is something that has to be seen in a really, a more comprehensive way and not just one thing.  Not just one thing about raising the age of Medicare.  First of all, show me the money.  I don’t even know why that is something that people think is going to produce money.  Well, what are we going to do with people between 65 and 67?  Why is that – where is the money, show me the money there.  But it’s not even the right thing to do first and foremost.  But is it a trophy that the Republicans want?  Is that the trophy that they want in order to do what is right to raise – to raise the rates for the wealthiest people in our country?” 

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House Republicans Leaving Town:

Q:  Madam Leader, the Republicans have left town, they’re not here, you haven’t mentioned it yet but there is no Congress, I mean there is no House because the Republicans have left town.  What’s your response to that?

Leader Pelosi.  No, we most certainly should be here and it came as quite a surprise.  And I’m really surprised that the Republicans would leave – we came in Tuesday and we left Wednesday at twelve o’clock noon – with all that needs to be done, avoiding the conversation – sounds like people don’t want to be in town for some reason.  And the reason is, is because we are asking them to sign the discharge petition to urge their – if they don’t want to sign it – to urge their leadership to pass middle income tax cuts, which is the liberation, which is the freeing from the hostage taking, which is the setting the table for what can come next once we understand that we’re holding the middle class harmless as we go forward.