Republican address pushes back on Medicare, gas prices

Rep. James Lankford (R-Okla.) pushed back against Democrats Saturday on two issues that have been dominating the political debate: entitlement reform and energy policy.

Lankford contradicted Democratic claims that House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) budget plan would eliminate Medicare for Baby Boomers.

“Let me be clear: the Republican plan would not affect current Medicare beneficiaries, or any American 55 or older,” Lankford said Saturday in the Republican weekly address.

{mosads}”To address Medicare’s looming insolvency though, we put in place a plan to save Medicare for those under 55,” Lankford continued. “We want them to have access to the same kind of medical retirement options that Members of Congress and all federal employees benefit from.”

Lankford’s comments come after Democrats have been charging that the Ryan budget would make unnecessarily deep spending cuts and effectively end Medicare. Liberal organizations and the DCCC have spent the last week highlighting town halls where Republican lawmakers who voted for the plan have been heckled by attendees.

Democrats hope to cause something of a repeat of the healthcare town halls in 2009 (this time in their favor) when Democratic lawmakers who voted for the Obama administration’s healthcare reform law were met with unruly crowds at town halls in their districts.

Lankford also challenged President Obama’s actions on controlling rising gas prices.

“For more than two years, his administration has knowingly increased energy prices by choking off new sources of traditional American energy and smothering our economy in new energy regulations,” he said. “His latest proposal – hiking taxes by billions of dollars – will not lower gas prices and would actually make the problem worse.”

Lankford said his party has a better plan.

“Republicans are focused on expanding all American energy production to help lower costs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and create millions of American jobs,” he said.

“Next week, the House of Representatives will begin this process by passing legislation to increase the supply of American energy and create jobs. This legislation is part of our American Energy Initiative – an ongoing effort to lower costs and allow the private sector to create more American jobs.”

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on Friday released an estimate that said H.R. 1230, the “Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act,” would bring in an estimated $40 million in revenues over the next decade, and would cost just $2 million to implement.

The bill is expected to be on the floor next week, and would require the administration to conduct offshore lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Virginia.