By Tom Waring
Wire Staff Writer
Kevin Strouse, a Democratic candidate in the 8th Congressional District, described a budget plan supported last week by Republican Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick as “damaging.”
Strouse maintained the plan, sponsored by Wisconsin Republican Rep. Paul Ryan, would cut jobs and slash infrastructure spending.
In addition, he said it would jeopardize retirement security by ending the Medicare guarantee and turning it into a voucher program, raising seniors’ costs.
“Congressman Fitzpatrick needs to explain why he voted today to turn his back on middle-class families in Bucks and Montgomery counties,” Strouse said. “The Fitzpatrick budget is a slap in the face that would end the Medicare guarantee and reopen the prescription drug donut hole, making seniors pay more for health care while lining the pockets of Congressman Fitzpatrick’s special interest donors.
“It’s time that voters of Bucks and Montgomery counties had someone who will fight for their jobs, cut spending the right way and reduce our deficit — but not on the backs of seniors and the middle class.”
Fitzpatrick, though, credited the House of Representatives with taking “decisive” action to address the serious fiscal challenges facing the nation.
“This plan balances the budget within the 10-year window, which is exactly what we need to create opportunity for everyone,” he said. “Furthermore, it protects Medicare for Bucks and Montgomery county seniors, compared to the Democrats’ plan, which took over $700 billion from Medicare to pay for Obamacare.
“Last year, it took ‘No Budget, No Pay’ and the threat of losing a paycheck to get Senate Democrats to pass a budget for the first time in four years. In doing so, a divided government was able to pass a bipartisan budget agreement — a legitimate step toward increasing fiscal responsibility. Now is the time to continue to advance common sense changes that help rein in Washington’s spending and increase accountability.”
••
Also last week, Strouse marked Equal Pay Day, the annual reminder of how much longer women must work to earn the same pay as men.
Census Bureau data show that women working full time are paid 77 cents for every dollar paid to men.
The Paycheck Fairness Act, supported by President Barack Obama and Democrats, would strengthen the penalties courts can impose for pay discrimination and forbids retaliation against workers who inquire or disclose information about employers’ wage practices.
“This issue is deeply personal to me. As a father, I want my daughter Charlotte to grow up with the same opportunities as her brother, and I want to ensure that same opportunity exists for every woman in Bucks and Montgomery counties,” Strouse said.
Republicans opposed to the bill accuse Obama of being a hypocrite. They point to the 2013 Annual Report to Congress on White House Staff, which shows that the 229 female employees in the Obama White House are being paid a median annual salary of $65,000, compared with a median annual salary of nearly $74,000 for the 232 male White House staffers.
Strouse, of Middletown, is a former Army ranger, CIA counterterrorism analyst and veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is program director of Teach2Serve, an education nonprofit that teaches young people to give back to their communities.
••
Shaughnessy Naughton, who is also seeking the Democratic nomination in the 8th Congressional District, has been endorsed by the Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club.
Naughton, a scientist and publishing company owner from Point Pleasant, filled out a questionnaire on issues of importance to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
The candidate expressed support for same-sex marriage, along with allowing a spouse to collect Social Security survivor benefits.
Also, she backed requiring the Affordable Care Act and other government-funded health programs to cover so-called “sex reassignment surgery.”
In addition, she opposed privatization of Social Security and Medicare.
On other issues, she favored funding needle exchange programs in public health plans to reduce the spread of HIV; declared herself pro-choice on abortion; and agreed that school sex education programs should fund birth control and condoms.
Naughton also promised to support Doylestown’s Rainbow Room, which serves LGBT youths.
Naughton and Strouse will meet in the May 20 primary. The winner will challenge Republican Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick. The district includes all of Bucks County and a portion of Montgomery County.
••
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has launched a web ad campaign against Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick and what it considers about 60 other vulnerable incumbents and challengers in response to the newly released Republican budget.
The “Battleground: Middle Class” project aims to convince voters that the GOP is stacking the deck for special interests on the backs of the middle class, according to the DCCC.
The DCCC claims the budget will raise taxes on families, end the Medicare guarantee and cost the economy 3 million jobs. The budget, in the DCCC’s view, provides tax breaks for wealthy people, oil companies and corporations that ship jobs overseas.
“We are giving voters all across the country the opportunity to connect directly with their representatives and candidates, so that they can tell them that they do not want a misguided budget that heaps tax breaks and handouts on special interests and the wealthiest Americans, and then forces the middle class to pay the price,” said the DCCC’s Josh Schwerin. “Battleground: Middle Class is putting Republicans on defense across the country and making them answer for turning their backs on middle-class families, raising their taxes, costing them jobs and ending the Medicare guarantee.”
••
Rep. Fitzpatrick believes the coming election played a role in the Obama administration’s decision to cancel cuts to Medicare Advantage as part of the Affordable Care Act.
Medicare Advantage offers extra benefits on private health plans.
“While I am glad to see the administration has decided to largely call off a second round of harmful cuts to the popular and effective Medicare Advantage program, it is obvious that once again the decision was motivated by politics, not good policy,” Fitzpatrick said.
The cuts proposed in February drew fire from senior citizens and members of both parties.
Fitzpatrick, who is in his third term, wrote a letter to Obama, asking him to put off the cuts. Nationwide, there are over 15 million seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage.
“I will continue to work as a strong advocate for Medicare Advantage and those Bucks and Montgomery county residents who rely on it,” the congressman said.
••
U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz, a Democratic candidate for governor, last week released her first television ad, which highlights her fight to pass the Children’s Health Insurance Program through the state Senate.
Schwartz worked with former state Rep. Allen Kukovich and former Pennsylvania Gov. Bob Casey to pass the landmark health-care plan for Pennsylvania’s children.
“The Children’s Health Insurance Program became a model for President Clinton,” Schwartz said. “Now, hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania children — and millions more across the county — have access to quality affordable health care. We started it in Pennsylvania and led the nation. That’s exactly the type of experience and leadership I will bring as governor.”
