Perry plan is bold on budget cuts, careful on Medicare

{mosads}On Medicare, by contrast, Perry is careful when handling the House-passed 2011 budget, authored by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). He says the Ryan proposal, which would replace traditional Medicare for those currently younger than 55 with a payment that can be used to buy private insurance, is worthy of consideration and debate. 

His plan says that reform “options” include raising the retirement age, means-testing benefits and “giving Medicare recipients more control to choose the plan that best fits their unique individual needs.”

The choice of wording appears to reflect the massive political blowback that the Ryan plan received last spring when it passed the House.

On other budget maters, Perry endorses having the president sign the annual budget resolution, a permanent ban on earmarks, tightening rules for emergency supplemental appropriations and using dynamic scoring for tax cuts that incorporate economic growth effects.

Perry also proposes a complete federal hiring and pay freeze until the budget is balanced.