Pelosi: 'President Bush's Proposed Medicare and Medicaid Cuts Are Exactly the Wrong...( WASHINGTON Jan. 31 -- Speaker Na...),Health

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today following news reports that President Bush plans large cuts in Medicare and Medicaid when he unveils his fiscal 2009 budget next week:

"The President is proposing to once again slash health care coverage for seniors and low-income working Americans. The President's cuts are exactly the wrong medicine when the cost of health care and the number of uninsured continue to rise and families are feeling economically insecure.

"The Administration's proposed cuts in Medicare and Medicaid, even larger than last year's, are particularly unjustified when the largest subsidies in the Medicare program -- payment to Medicare Advantage plans -- are left untouched.

"The President should work with Congress to create a budget that recognizes that affordable health care is a priority."