“We need to make it a choice between a do-nothing approach that will ultimately destroy Medicare, and life-saving reforms,” said Rep. Tom Cole (R., Okla.). Added Rep. Cliff Stearns (R., Fla.): “It’s a wake-up call on how you frame it. It obviously wasn’t framed right.”…
Democrats said Republicans were kidding themselves if they failed to read the election as a signal that voters dislike the GOP plan. Under Mr. Ryan’s proposal, passed last month by the Republican-led House, Medicare would become a system of private insurance plans, backed by government subsidies, for people now younger than 55.
“If the Republicans truly believe that Medicare was not a factor in this race and they want to double down on their plan to end Medicare, they proceed at their own peril,” said Rep. Steve Israel (D., N.Y.), who coordinates Democratic House campaigns…
Mark Gersh, a consultant to House Democrats, said Republicans control 97 seats in districts more Democratic than the one they lost Tuesday. “You couldn’t win all of them, but you have the potential to win a lot of them,” Mr. Gersh said.
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