Trump attempting to raid Medicare trust fund in 'shameless stunt' to pay for drug discount cards

[catbyte]

with his name on them

October 9, 2020
By Jake Johnson, Common Dream

Less than a month away from the November election, Trump administration officials are reportedly rushing to implement the president’s recent proposal to send $200 prescription drug discount cards to nearly 40 million Medicare recipients—an $8 billion plan that would be financed by dipping into the Medicare trust fund.

Politico reported Thursday that the administration is “seeking to finalize the plan as soon as Friday and send letters to 39 million Medicare beneficiaries next week, informing seniors of Trump’s new effort to lower their drug costs, although many seniors would not receive the actual cards until after the election.” While the design of the cards has yet to be finalized, officials are reportedly discussing ways to put Trump’s name on them.

“It’s a shameless stunt that steals billions from Medicare in order to fund a legally dubious scheme that’s clearly intended to benefit President Trump’s campaign right before Election Day.”
—Rep. Frank Pallone Jr.

The plan would cost $7.9 billion, according to Politico, with $19 million going toward letters touting the initiative, which advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers are denouncing as an obvious and potentially unlawful campaign ploy that would provide little relief for the millions impacted by obscenely high drug prices.

“There it is: Trump wants to steal billions from Medicare to pay for an illegal voter bribery scheme weeks before the election,” tweeted Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-N.J.).

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Link to tweet

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https://www.rawstory.com/2020/10/trump-attempting-to-raid-medicare-trust-fund-in-shameless-stunt-to-pay-for-discount-cards-with-his-name-on-them-report/

[secondwind]

1. Is this even legal..... smh

[obamanut2012]

10. Nope n/t

[soothsayer]

2. Good luck mailing them using the usps you broke

Or will they take precedence over ballots? Hmm

[LakeVermilion]

3. If it's ruled illegal by the courts...

make the officials personally liable for the amount embezzled.

[chriscan64]

4. It's not just an analogy anymore.

The federal government IS the reelection campaign committee.

[tanyev]

5. I found a design they can use.

[Botany]

6. Trump, so I have killed 210,000 Americans most of the seniors and gotten another 7.5 million ...

... but here is a discount drug card with my name on it and you get to pay for it too.

[catbyte]

7. Well, we know how much he loves to use "Other People's Money." He even has an acronym for it.

"OPM." Hell, he wouldn't even use his own $7.00 to pay for Biff's Boy Scouts registration fee back in the day. He used Trump Foundation donations. OPM.

Link to tweet

In 1989, @realDonaldTrump apparently used a charity's money to pay his son's $7 registration fee for the Boy Scouts.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-boasts-of-his-philanthropy-but-his-giving-falls-short-of-his-words/2016/10/29/b3c03106-9ac7-11e6-a0ed-ab0774c1eaa5_story.html

[Botany]

9. Well it is not like he and his son stole money from kids with cancer? Oh never mind.

Can you imagine you are a senior citizen in Florida who can't leave their home
because of the C-19 and Trump is fucking with your social security?

[ehrnst]

8. Imagine if Obama had done that in 2012. They would have screamed "SOCIALIST" trying to bribe voters.