Dems Push For Debt Deal That Doesn’t Include Medicare Cuts

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., sent an email to House Republicans Monday saying he is optmistic that ongoing budget talks will meet the standard set by Speaker John Boehner -- meaning legislation to raise the debt limit will be accompanied by deficit reduction. Some Democratic senators, though, are pressing Vice President Joe Biden, who is overseeing budget negotiations, to steer clear of the GOP Medicare plan. But Democratic leaders also are showing an openness to efforts to control the program's ballooning costs.

Politico: Eric Cantor 'Optimistic' About Budget
In an email Monday to House Republicans, Majority Leader Eric Cantor said he is "cautiously optimistic" that ongoing talks with the White House will meet the standard set by Speaker John Boehner that "any increase in the debt limit ought to be accompanied by at least a commensurate reduction in the deficit."   The talks, led by Vice President Joe Biden, are to continue this week and Cantor said, "We have been going through all the major spending areas of the federal budget, beginning with non-health care mandatory programs and continuing with discussion on the health care entitlement programs" (Rogers, 6/6).

The Associated Press: Senators Tell Biden To Reject GOP Medicare Plan
Five Democratic senators are calling on Vice President Joe Biden to keep the House Republican plan for Medicare out of out of budget and deficit negotiations (Jackson, 6/6).

The Baltimore Sun: Cardin Calls On Biden To Drop GOP Medicare Plan
Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin was one of five Senate Democrats -- all of whom are up for reelection next year -- to sign a letter to Vice President Joe Biden asking that the Republican plan to overhaul Medicare be taken off the table as part of the ongoing White House deficit talks. The Medicare proposal, crafted by House Republican Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan and passed by the House in April, would provide seniors federal subsidies to purchase private health insurance -- a change that would save money by requiring seniors to pay a higher share of their healthcare costs (Fritze, 6/6). 

The Hill: Senate Dems: No Debt Deal With Medicare Cuts
Medicare is the biggest obstacle to a deal on raising the debt ceiling, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Monday. Senate Democrats again said they were calling on Republicans to take a dramatic Medicare overhaul "off the table" in the debt negotiations being led by Vice President Joe Biden. Pressed on whether any Republicans involved in those talks are actually pushing for the Medicare proposal, Schumer said the GOP hasn't given any public indications to the contrary (Baker, 6/6).

Roll Call: Democrats Thread The Needle On Medicare
Senate Democratic leaders are attempting a balancing act on Medicare - by showing openness to containing the program's ballooning costs but still drawing the line at cutting benefits. The gambit is aimed at convincing voters that Democrats take the need to reduce the deficit seriously but will protect seniors more than Republicans - a message Democratic leaders think will help them retain their Senate majority against tough odds in 2012 (Dennis, 6/7). 

CBS: Both Parties Dig In On Medicare Demands
As Vice President Joe Biden continues to make progress overseeing debt limit negotiations between Democrats and Republicans, the questions remains as to whether the Obama administration will go along with GOP demands to significantly change Medicare. The latest evidence -- a pair of opposing letters to the administration from members of the two major parties -- shows that Democrats and Republicans remain as committed as ever to their positions on a controversial GOP Medicare plan (Condon, 6/6).

CNN: Spots Reveal Medicare Politics
The politics of Medicare continued Monday with two new web videos reiterating the arguments on both sides of the aisle over entitlement reform. The minute and a half spot from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee singled out Republican representatives who voted for the budget plan proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, which passed in the House and failed in the Senate. The DCCC said it has a paid advertising campaign scheduled for later in the week (Schwarz, 6/6).