SeniorCare Demise Another Ryan Trophy

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In Wednesday’s Janesville Gazette a letter titled “Loss of SeniorCare in Wisconsin is not Congressman Ryan’s fault” was in rebuttal to another letter printed last week daring Rep. Paul Ryan to help save the state program. Wednesday’s writer hated to confuse the issue with the facts that Ryan signed a Wisconsin delegation letter to request an extension of SeniorCare from the Federal Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). That Ryan signed this blanket request was merely a formality of political posturing necessary to at least save face with his own state.

While at the Capitol, Ryan shows his true colors repeatedly by voting the party line for cutting non-security discretionary spending to the bone. In fact, and I hate to confuse the issue, Ryan is not only the spokesman, but a leading author for the Republican version of upcoming Federal budgets where he boasts that budgets can be balanced by merely cutting domestic spending. Ryan may not have SeniorCare specifically on his spending cut wishlist, but when pressed on which programs he recommends to cut, he is too embarrassed to name them. And who could blame him?

The very administration that Ryan has rubber stamped for the past six years is responsible for the slow death of programs just like SeniorCare. We can be assured that Rep. Baldwin and Obey were not among that group but, Ryan was.

JG Letter Excerpt:
SeniorCare is not even in Ryan's (or any of the federal representative's) jurisdiction, so I applaud him for his effort to intercede. – letter writer

Pardon me? SeniorCare may be a state run program, but its fate and funding is predicated on mandates and stipulations written in the Medicare Part D Republican nightmare. When HR 1 Medicare Part D passed in the 108th Congress, Ryan, Sensenbrenner, Petri and Green all voted for it, while all Wisconsin Democrats voted against it.

The primary duty Paul Ryan owes to the 1st Congressional District of Wisconsin is to do the work of the people in the Capitol. He is not there to represent Wal-Mart, Exxon, Pfizer, AT &T, President Bush or Iraq. First on the list of duties are to bring home a fair share of funds to be redistributed through programs just like SeniorCare. Paul Ryan is his district’s only connection to the Fed regarding policy and appropriations, the same goes for Baldwin, Obey and others in their respective districts. The difference here again with Ryan is, he has brought home very little to his district over the years and has gone on record he will bring home even less.

I’m not defending anyone, even the Democrats on the death of SeniorCare, but I will certainly put the blame where blame is due. The loss of SeniorCare may not be solely Ryan’s fault, but when it comes to ushering in the bills and policies that will lead to its demise, he is front and center. No matter what he says now.