House Ways and Means Committee Chairman David Camp says the GOP should stick with Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget plan as congressional Democrats have not offered an alternative. Camp also told Fox News’ Neal Cavuto on Wednesday that he wants an “up-or-down vote” on the proposal.
“Look, we have a plan — I have not seen any plan from the Democrats . . . They have not offered anything,” Camp said. “OK, if this is such a bad proposal, what is their proposal? And when people do get that we have a debt problem — when we look at spending — two-thirds of that is entitlement mandatory spending, so you cannot actually get there without reforms that will make these programs sustainable for the long run, not just for today’s seniors, but well into the future.
“So, we are having a public discussion on this,” he said. “Obviously, the Senate has done nothing with this, but we need to continue that discussion — because it is real.”
Cavuto asked Camp whether he is disappointed that the Senate does not have a budget plan and “kind of leaving you House guys in a lurch.”
“Well, we really need to have a proposal from the Democrats in the Senate or the administration — that is what we’re looking for,” he said. “Look, I think when the American people — and we are going to continue to have a public conversation about this — understand where we are, they’re going to know that we — that this promise of Medicare, this current promise, is really a false promise, because it’s not going to be there.
“What we trying to do is get personal choice in Medicare, where you can actually get the sort of medical plan that is tailored to your needs,” Camp said. “Their solution is the IPAD, the Independent Payment Advisory board, which is going to slice off provider payments.”
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