Republican politicians are coming after social security and medical programmes for older people “in a big way”, US president Joe Biden has claimed.
In a speech in Florida on Tuesday he also hit out at the pharmaceutical industry for adding to the cost-of-living problems faced by Americans by raising prices.
Mr Biden warned that that if Republicans regained control of the US Congress in elections next week, social security and Medicare programmes could be repealed.
The speech appeared aimed at making healthcare and retirement benefits an election issue in advance of the crucial midterm elections in the United States next Tuesday.
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Florida has one of the largest proportions of senior citizens among US states. “You’ve been paying into social security your whole life, you earned it, now these guys want to take it away.”
“Who in the hell do they think they are?”
Mr Biden said the programmes were “under siege” by Republicans.
The president promised he would veto any move by Republicans, if they won control of Congress, to roll back reforms Democrats introduce to reduce the cost of drugs and medicines.
Mr Biden said Republicans had plans to put existing social security and Medicare legislation “on the block” every five years. He said Republicans had contended that if a law was worth keeping, the Congress could reauthorise it.
He said Republicans wanted to use the money saved for tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations.
Mr Biden criticised price increases introduced by big pharmaceutical companies for drugs which had not undergone any changes or developments. He said the cost of one medicine for blood pressure had been raised by 500 per cent. He said another drug for autoimmune conditions had seen its price increase by $1,000.
Polls suggest that Mr Biden’s Democratic Party is facing losses in the House of Representatives. In the Senate several key seats are considered to be too close to call with Democrat and Republican candidates neck and neck.
Meanwhile, the man accused of violently attacking Paul Pelosi, the husband of the speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, at their home in San Francisco last week, was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
David DePape (42) was expected to be arraigned on state charges in California.
He has been charged with several crimes, including assault, attempted murder and attempted kidnapping, following last week’s break-in at the Pelosi home in San Francisco.
It has been reported in the US that Mr DePape shouted “Where’s Nancy?” after breaking into their home.
Ms Pelosi was in Washington at the time of the break-in last Friday.
