Democratic Party of Oregon blasts “original tea party candidate”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Erik Dorey, Communications Director press [at] dpo [dot] org (503) 239-8624
After rubbing elbows with Washington, DC Republicans this week, Tea Party candidate Rob Cornilles owes some answers to Oregon’s seniors — Why hasn’t he rejected the radical House Republican plan to end Medicare? Will he join his Tea Party friends in Congress as they fight to privatize Social Security? There is a candidate forum at a Portland senior center tomorrow — if they’re lucky, 1st district seniors might finally learn where Rob Cornilles stands.
“If Rob Cornilles wants Oregonians to believe he would have opposed the House Republican plan to end Medicare, he needs to say so,” said Trent Lutz, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Oregon. “Every day that he refuses to answer these basic questions, it becomes increasingly obvious that he still stands by the Tea Party agenda that robs seniors of their Social Security and Medicare."
Background:
Cornilles to Meet at National Republican Congressional Committee with Business Coalition for Fair Competition. On October 5, 2011, Cornilles met at the National Republican Congressional Committee with The Business Coalition for Fair Competition for a roundtable. [Business Coalition for Fair Competition, accessed 10/3/11 <http://www.
Republican Ryan Budget Ends Medicare As We Know It. "The plan would essentially end Medicare, which now pays most of the health-care bills for 48 million elderly and disabled Americans, as a program that directly pays those bills." [Wall Street Journal, 4/4/11 <http://online.wsj.com/
Jim Greenfield Planned to Attend Terwilliger Plaza Retirement Forum. On Saturday, October 8: Jim Greenfield had the Terwilliger Plaza Retirement Forum on his events calendar. [Greenfield for Congress, accessed 10/6/11 <http://greenfield.
House Republicans and Rep. Sessions Proposed Social Security Opt-Out. "House Republicans on Friday introduced legislation that would allow workers to partially opt out of Social Security immediately, and fully opt out after 15 years." The measure was introduced by NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (TX-32) and Republican Conference Chairman Jeb Hensarling (TX-05) among others. [The Hill, 6/6/11]
Republican Budget Would Deny 620,000 Individuals Access to Medicare's Guaranteed Benefits. According to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the House Republican budget would deny 620,000 individuals in Oregon's First Congressional District age 54 and younger access to Medicare's guaranteed benefit. It would increase health costs for 128,000 individuals in the district by over $6,000 per year in 2022, forcing those between the ages of 44 and 54 to save an average of $182,000 to $287,000 per person to pay for the increased cost of health coverage over their lifetimes. [House Energy and Commerce Committee, 6/11 <http://docs.house.gov/
Cornilles Called Himself "The Original Tea Party Candidate." In 2010, Cornilles called himself "the original Tea Party candidate" because he had been running the longest of any candidate running in Oregon and epitomized Tea Party values. [Executive Club forum, 5/5/10 <http://youtu.be/mRUi_na0zrc> ]
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