Sept. 27 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden highlighted the steps his administration is taking to lower healthcare costs, while also warning that a Republican takeover of Congress would put Medicare and Social Security in jeopardy.
Speaking at the White House Tuesday afternoon, Biden stressed that his administration has been fighting to lower drug prices by taking on pharmaceutical companies, lowering the costs of premiums and ending surprise medical billing.
"The Inflation Reduction Act locks in place those lower healthcare premiums for millions of Americans that get their coverage through the Affordable Care Act," Biden said.
Some Republicans have supported increasing the eligibility age for Medicare and the retirement age for Social Security as part of a plan to keep the programs solvent without hiking taxes. They failed to derail the Democrats' last economic package in August, including the remains of Biden's Build Back Better plan.
"Every single Republican voted against the Inflation Reduction Act," Biden said. "And when it actually came time to do something about inflation around the kitchen table, every single one of them said no."
Biden also called out the Republicans who have presented plans to cut Social Security and Medicare, including Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who has proposed a budget that would sunset all federal programs every five years.
"Translated, if you don't vote to keep it, you don't get it," Biden said. "That means every five years, you either cut it, reduce it, or completely eliminate it."
He also criticized a plan by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, which would fund Medicare and Social Security through the annual budget.
While Republicans often float plans to change the popular programs, the Washington Post has debunked broad claims that Republicans would eliminate Social Security and Medicare, which has been a familiar campaign theme for years.