Twenty Senate Democrats are urging President-elect Trump to clarify whether he will support cutting Medicare and Medicaid as president.
The letter notes that Trump made comments during his campaign indicating he wouldn’t cut the two big federal programs that supply health coverage to senior citizens and the poor and asks him to commit to opposing specific changes to the program that Democrats don’t like.
“We ask that you rapidly and publicly clarify in plain language for the American public that you continue to stand behind your campaign promises,” the letter says.
The letter asks for Trump to promise he won’t raise the Medicare eligibility age, privatize Medicare or support Medicaid changes that could cause people to lose coverage.
While Trump promised during the campaign he wouldn’t cut Medicare for seniors, he has vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which includes a broad Medicaid expansion. It is not clear how Republicans will handle that part of the law, as they seek to repeal some of its biggest parts and replace it with their own ideas.
The letter was signed by the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, Ron Wyden, and 19 other Democrats. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who ran for president as a Democrat, signed on as well.
