Westbank Louisiana News

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont called for unanimous consent on the Senate floor to pass his Medicare Dental, Hearing, and Vision Expansion Act. This legislation aims to expand access to dental, hearing, and vision care for 68 million American seniors on Medicare.

In his prepared remarks, Sanders highlighted concerns among senior citizens regarding proposed cuts to Medicaid by President Trump and Republican colleagues. "When we have the President and my Republican colleagues talking about cutting Medicaid by $880 billion," he said, emphasizing the potential impact on community health centers and nursing home availability.

Sanders criticized the Social Security Administration's understaffing and pointed out that some 30,000 people die each year waiting for their Social Security Disability benefits. He expressed concern over Elon Musk's alleged staff cuts at Social Security: "They are now threatening to cut up to half of Social Security Administration staffing."

The senator also addressed claims made by Musk and Trump regarding Social Security: "Musk claiming that Social Security...is a 'Ponzi scheme.'" Sanders dismissed these assertions as misleading attempts to undermine public confidence in the program.

Highlighting economic struggles faced by seniors, Sanders noted that 22% of Americans over 65 survive on less than $15,000 annually. He cited OECD statistics indicating high rates of senior poverty in the U.S., stating: "23% of seniors are living in poverty compared to just 4% in Norway."

Sanders argued for expanding Medicare coverage to include dental, vision, and hearing benefits: "We think that it makes more sense to substantially improve the lives of our nation’s seniors." He underscored that basic healthcare needs such as hearing aids, dental care, and eyeglasses remain uncovered since Medicare's inception.

He urged action based on public support: "According to a poll conducted by Data for Progress last year, 92 percent of the American people support expanding Medicare." To fund this expansion, Sanders proposed aligning Medicare drug prices with those negotiated by the VA: "We will save over $800 billion over the next decade."

Sanders' proposal has garnered support from several senators including Warren, Booker, Welch, Markey, Duckworth, Merkley, and Blumenthal. In parallel efforts within the House of Representatives, Congressman Lloyd Doggett introduced similar legislation with over 110 cosponsors.

The senator concluded by requesting legislative action on bill S.939 introduced earlier that day.