FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 18, 2011

Contact: Andrew Welhouse (608) 266-5660

Sen. Fitzgerald: Republicans Saving SeniorCare

MADISON, WI… Senate Republicans have been working behind the scenes for months to save Wisconsin’s highly popular SeniorCare program, and will be voting in the coming weeks in the Joint Finance Committee to preserve the SeniorCare as is.

“More than a month and a half ago, Republicans promised we would save SeniorCare in the state budget.  You can’t fault the Democrats for trying to jump on the issue late, but it certainly doesn’t change the fact that the gears have already been in motion on this for a long time,” Fitzgerald said.  “SeniorCare is going to be fixed in the budget.”

On March 30, about two weeks after Senate Democrats decided to return to Wisconsin and do their jobs after a three-week holdout, Sen. Randy Hopper and Alberta Darling announced that their commitment to saving SeniorCare, a popular state program that provides low-cost prescription drug coverage to more than 90,000 Wisconsin seniors.  (Release available here)

“This whole session, the Republican majority has been about keeping promises: from creating jobs and focusing on the economy, to freezing property taxes, to balancing the budget while protecting key services.  SeniorCare is no exception, regardless of who wants to take credit from the sidelines,” Fitzgerald said.

“Frankly, if the Democrats had the best interests of seniors in mind, they wouldn’t have opposed the Republicans’ property tax freeze in the budget.  But that's their agenda this year – use every stall tactic in the book, play political games, and pat themselves on the back at every turn.

“I would guess Wisconsin’s seniors care more about actually getting the job getting done than the Democrats’ game of ‘leadership by press release,’” Fitzgerald said.

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