Washington, DC – DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement in recognition of the 49th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid:

“Forty-nine years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation creating the Medicare and Medicaid programs. These programs continued the Democratic Party’s commitment to ensuring that after working hard for decades, older American could live in dignity instead of being resigned to destitution or squalor.

“Under President Obama, Democrats have strengthened the Medicare program. The Affordable Care Act has helped add years of solvency to the Medicare program, closes the Medicare Part D prescription drug donut hole, saving seniors thousands of dollars, ends lifetime caps on benefits that hurt patients with chronic illnesses, and guarantees free preventive care. Additionally, cost-saving measures and programs to better coordinate care and eliminate waste from Medicare continue to address the program’s long-term costs and place it on more secure financial footing.

“But while Democrats have worked hard to bolster initiatives that ensure a secure economic future, Republicans are more interested in slashing the safety net. Medicare represents a promise made by our nation to its citizens that they would not be abandoned after a lifetime of contributing to programs like Medicare and Social Security. Democrats fully intend to keep that promise, and we will fight every Republican attempt to turn this American success story into a voucher program or end Medicare as we know it.”