Town Hall Attendee Calls Out GOP Rep. Charles Bass On ‘Divide And Conquer’ Medicare Cuts

As ThinkProgress previously reported, Main Street America is speaking out at congressional town halls all over the country, challenging conservative members of Congress who voted for a GOP budget proposal that would effectively end Medicare and further reduce taxes on some of the nation’s wealthiest individuals and corporations.

Rep. Charles Bass (R-NH) was the latest recipient of this town hall anger. At an April 20 town hall in Hillsborough, Bass was peppered with questions by constituents who were opposed to the Ryan plan and concerned about what what it would do to Medicare. In a video posted on YouTube, several members of the audience are seen asking why Bass was proposing handing future seniors over to the insurance industry. One attendee pointed out that what the Republicans are doing is pursuing a “divide and conquer” strategy by eliminating Medicare for future generations while keeping it for current seniors:

WOMAN: Despite all we’re hearing about Ryan and Medicare, there’s a 10 percent reduction in the taxes for the wealthiest Americans. My feeling is this whole thing about saying 55 and under or under 55 is a way to divide and conquer because their benefits will be cut and then we as older people will, there will be anger fomenting against us. A generational gap will start where the younger people are told you’re playing for these Cadillac plans these older people how is that fair. Because we’re older the thought is we won’t speak up and won’t tell congress this is not acceptable. All generations have to stand together and say we need this social safety net. The bigger part of the problem is the commercial insurance industry.
BASS: Well first of all the tax part of the budget is revenue neutral. [...] The tax reduction is not a reduction in taxes on the wealthiest Americans, it’s a reduction of corporate tax rate so that we’re competitive around the world [...]
WOMAN: No, this is –
BASS: Very few companies, we tax foreign income, companies keep foreign income offshore. [...] The quickest way to turn this deficit down is to turn this economy around [...] off this federal system, so that the deficit goes down. We’re in this situation now here we’re bumping along unless we do something to stimulate real growth in this economy […] Who’s going to pay the bills? It’s going to be the younger people, that’s the real generational war, they’re going to say we’re not gonna pay 50, 60 percent of our income to subsidize the rest of the population older [...]
WOMAN: I agree, you guys are setting it up! [laughter from audience]

Watch it:

Bass joins a growing number of conservative members of Congress who are facing public anger for trying to eliminate Medicare and cut taxes on the wealthiest Americans even more. If you record video of your representative’s town hall that you think we would be interested in, please email it to us at thinkprogress@americanprogress.org. (h/t: YouTube account NHFootage2012)