An Ounce of Prevention on Election Day
by Bradd Jewitt
The old saying goes that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This idea, that it’s far better to nip a problem in the bud than trying to deal with a developed problem, has more to do with voters in Maryland’s Fifth District than one might think. In fact, Election Day, November 2nd, 2004, might just be a kind of preventative medicine for Maryland’s senior citizens.
Unfortunately, Maryland has a developed problem: Steny Hoyer’s representation of senior citizens. Nipping the problem in the bud might have been done a long time ago, when Hoyer first ran for Congress or in subsequent campaigns. The problem is, Hoyer has always claimed that he represents Fifth District seniors – that our mothers, fathers, and grandparents are a priority for him. Sadly, the facts tell a different story. We obviously cannot change the past. What we can do is prevent Hoyer from putting seniors on the back burner for another term. What we can prevent is two more years of our representative voting against senior citizens.
Let me share a few examples of instances when Steny Hoyer could have stood up for senior citizens and didn’t. Last year, the President and Congress voted to extend relief to seniors struggling to pay for health care by providing a prescription drug benefit. AARP and many other senior citizens groups supported the plan. Hoyer, however, thought he knew better and voted against the plan. Instead of voting for a sensible prescription drug plan, he advocated an unrealistic, budget-busting substitute version that would have cost American taxpayers over $1 trillion! The drug plan Congress passed was not perfect, but it was a step in the right direction. Though recent radio ads may claim otherwise, Hoyer has not advocated for the health of seniors, but rather for impracticality and mounting deficits.
Unfortunately, fiscal responsibility has not been one of his strong suits. During his time in Congress, Hoyer has voted to raid the Social Security surplus 27 times and has failed to protect the Social Security surplus 11 times. Social Security, one of our nation’s most important safety nets for seniors, has fallen victim to our representative’s penchant for spending. It is interesting to note that Hoyer has also consistently supported tax hikes on Social Security benefits.
I wouldn’t go on at such length on this subject if the facts weren’t so startling. I wouldn’t continue for so long if I didn’t think that Maryland’s senior citizens needed a positive change. I will be that change.
A vote for Brad Jewitt on November 2nd is the ounce of prevention that will prevent pounds and pounds of Hoyer misdeeds in the years to come. I have a message for the senior citizens of the Fifth District: I will advocate for you in Congress. I support reducing taxes on your Social Security benefits, so you can pay for necessities like heating bills. I support prohibiting the Congress from raiding the Social Security Trust Fund, so this important program will be financially stable. I oppose raising the retirement age for Social Security eligibility, so no senior will be forced to work when they should be enjoying well-earned rest and time with their family. I support funding and cost-reduction improvements to MEDICARE and the prescription drug coverage plan so your health will be protected. I support tax-free medical savings accounts so workers will have the security of insurance against major illness, the opportunity to save – tax free – for routine health expenses, and the freedom to take these accounts to new jobs. I support the safe re-importation of drugs from Canada, so you can get the medications you need. And you can also count on my vote to repeal the death tax and make your pensions secure.
On November 2nd, we can bring a new voice and a new energy to Congress from Maryland’s Fifth District. I will work with the people of Maryland and with my colleagues in Congress to improve the lives of senior citizens. Together, we can solve our current problems, and prevent two more years of policies that are harmful to our seniors. For what is ailing senior citizens in Maryland, November 2nd will provide an important chance for a cure.
Brad Jewitt is the Republican nominee for U.S. Congress in Maryland’s Fifth Congressional District. To learn more about the Jewitt for Congress campaign, please visit our website at
www.jewitt2004.com, or call (301) 486-0089.
