Today, ahead of tonight’s vice presidential debate, the Maine Democratic Party hosted a virtual roundtable with State Representative Drew Gattine and Mainers who rely on Social Security and Medicare to discuss how Trump’s promises to cut funding for these vital programs if he is re-elected would be devastating to Mainers.
You can watch a recording of the full event here or read excerpts from the participants below:
“As the nation’s oldest state, a disproportionate number of Mainers rely on Social Security for part or all of their income. Similarly, we are the state with the highest percentage of residents enrolled on Medicare,” said State Representative Drew Gattine. “If Trump is re-elected for another term and is successful in cutting these vital programs, older Mainers across our state are going to be devastated. It’s really just that simple.”
“I’ve worked all my life and at the very end things really started to unravel, and I would have become--without Medicare--one of those people who suffered bankruptcy simply because of health issues,” said Chuck Morrison of Portland. “It’s the number one reason for personal bankruptcy in this country--medical costs.”
“I’ve paid money into Social Security and Medicare all my life. Now I depend on those funds in my retirement as partial income and to keep me from going bankrupt with my medical bills,” said Mary Rita McDevitt of Thomaston. “Without Medicare, we would be living in fear every day. Putting Medicare at risk unnecessarily puts our happiness at risk in our final years.”
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