Jun 17, 2010
Joe Heck Goes Both Ways on Social Security, Medicare Privatization
Last night, Joe Heck pronounced it "ludicrous" that he'd want to privatize Medicare. He said it just doesn't "make sense" that he’d support a proposal like that. And when asked if he supported privatizing Social Security, Heck refused to pledge to Nevada's seniors that he would not pursue a risky and expensive plan to invest their guaranteed benefit in the stock market.
But just a few months ago, Joe Heck got the endorsement of the House Conservatives Fund by pledging support for privatizing Medicare and Social Security. And just last month, Joe Heck reiterated his support for Social Security privatization.
"Joe Heck is trying to pull a fast one on Nevada voters by telling a Washington, D.C. group that he supports privatizing Social Security and Medicare and ripping the safety net out from Silver State seniors while misleading Nevada voters into believing that he would never support such a thing," said Andy Stone, Western Regional Press Secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "That's one more example of Joe Heck’s political expediency in putting himself first – ahead of hard-working Nevadans."
Backgrounnd
• On Face to Face, Joe Heck told host Jon Ralston, "It’s ludicrous on its face to think that me, as a physician, would want to see Medicare dissolved…" and "For me to think that we would want to, that I would want to privatize or to dissolve Medicare just doesn’t make sense as a physician." [Face to Face, 6/17/10]
• Last month, Heck conducted an interview with Nevada News and Views in which he responded to a question about how to reform Social Security by saying, "I believe that any individual should have the right to voluntarily take their portion of Social Security withholding and invest it as they deem appropriate." [Nevada News and Views, 5/4/10]
• In 2010, the House Conservatives Fund announced it was endorsing Heck. Said honorary chairman Rep. Patrick McHenry, "These people are hardcore conservatives that can win both the primary and the general election." [CQ-Roll Call, 3/10/10]
• In order to be considered for a contribution from the House Conservatives Fund, candidates must fill out a questionnaire and support values consistent with those espoused by the conservative Republican Study Committee, which includes privatizing Social Security and Medicare. [CQ-Roll Call, 3/10/10]
• Republican Study Committee Supports Social Security Privatization. The Republican Study Committee supports the privatization of Social Security and has been praised by right-wing for their pro-privatization stance. [Freedom Works Release, 3/1/06]
• Republican Study Committee Supports Medicare Privatization. The Republican Study Committee favors an approach similar to Rep. Paul Ryan’s controversial plan to privatize Medicare by replacing it with private vouchers. [New York Observer, 2/6/10]
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