Rehberg ad: GOP plan ‘could harm the Medicare program’

Rehberg was among the handful of House Republicans who voted against the GOP’s budget proposal. But by going a step further and running ads that explicitly criticize the measure, Rehberg could help bolster Democrats’ belief that the issue will resonate with voters this fall. Republican leaders refused to back away from the plan despite the controversy surrounding it.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee seized on the GOP’s Medicare proposal when it was first introduced, saying it would “end Medicare as we know it.” Attacks against the proposal have become a staple of House Democrats’ ads.

Similarly, the Los Angeles Times reported that freshman Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.) is criticizing the proposal in mailers to his home district. His mailings say the Medicare plan would “have a negative impact” on seniors, noting that the Congressional Budget Office said seniors’ out-of-pocket costs could nearly double under the Republican proposal.