This month, my Republican colleagues in Congress released their desired budget for 2024. I am disheartened to see that they are looking to further cut funding to critical social safety nets including Social Security and Medicare.

As a long time advocate for strengthening Social Security and Medicare, I worry about what this proposal would do to our seniors. Social Security and Medicare have served as lifelines, providing essential coverage and financial stability to our aging population, folks with disabilities, and lower-income families for decades. These programs demonstrate our shared commitment to ensuring a dignified life for all, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

When it comes to health care, I believe that access to high-quality, affordable care that fits Northwest Washington families' budgets is a right. And for so many of our most vulnerable, that means utilizing Medicare. I voted to reduce prescription drug costs by letting Medicare negotiate drug prices, by imposing a tax penalty if drug companies increase their prices faster than inflation, and by capping the price of insulin at $35 per month. These are common sense solutions that benefit everyone.

Help me stand up against these proposed cuts by making a contribution to my campaign for reelection.

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As for Social Security, to me it is plain and simple: hardworking folks paid into that program, it is not a handout. I oppose the privatization of Social Security and have sponsored "Scrap the Cap" legislation which would no longer exempt income earned above $147,000 from Social Security taxes to strengthen the Social Security fund.

Undermining these programs would leave vulnerable populations with an uncertain future where access to affordable healthcare and financial stability become unattainable rather than guaranteed rights.

Together, we can stop this budget from becoming a reality.

Rick