NEW REPORT: Arizonans’ Retirement Security and Health Care Are Threatened by New Congressional Proposals

PHOENIX — Honest Arizona has released a new report detailing how Congressional Republicans have introduced extreme proposals that threaten hard-working Arizonans’ retirement security and health care. Recently, the Republican Study Committee (RSC) released its 2025 budget proposal and has proposed raising the retirement age, which would result in a cut to benefits for those receiving Social Security benefits for the first time – potentially by almost 20 percent.

The RSC budget proposal goes even further by suggesting limits to the health care options available to seniors while threatening to significantly increase their costs. Medicare would essentially become a voucher program, requiring seniors to shop around for insurance and leaving them more vulnerable to changes in the insurance market.

Going even further, H.R.5779 could establish a mechanism to expedite a vote on cuts to Social Security and Medicare. The committee chairman who considered this bill stated that“everything is on the table” under a fiscal commission.

Meanwhile, strong legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act has helped Arizonans on Medicare manage their health care costs by capping the cost of insulin at $35 per month and will protect seniors from paying more than $2,000 out of pocket per year for their medicines starting next year. The Inflation Reduction Act also allows Medicare to negotiate and lower the prices for numerous other drugs, beginning with 10 initially and moving on to more in future years.

“New proposals like the RSC budget and the Fiscal Commission Act threaten working families’ way of life and show just how out of touch extreme conservatives are with everyday Arizonans, said Les Braswell with Honest Arizona.” “Arizonans take pride in their hard work and ability to care for themselves and their families. Programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and the Inflation Reduction Act enable them to retire with dignity and security.”

Learn more about the impacts of these extreme policies and the benefits of Social Security, Medicare, and the Inflation Reduction Act at HonestArizona.org. 

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