Protesters speak up in support of Medicare
MARQUETTE — Those driving through downtown Marquette this morning may have noticed a bit of activity along Front Street.
A group of Medicare supporters gathered in front of Congressman Dan Benishek’s office to voice their opinions of the program in honor of its fiftieth anniversary. Retirees and labor representatives were among those encouraging passersby to honk in support of Medicare.
“Right now with the political climate, and people talking about defunding them, young people need to step up and say that we’re going to need this just as much as our grandparents, and just as much as our parents are using it,” said Lucas Bradshaw, Vice President of the Delta-Schoolcraft Community Labor Council.
“You really don’t know how important it is until you need it,” said John Lavallee, a retired member of the Iron Workers Local 8 in Marquette. “We’re trying to persuade the Congressman to support it…continue to support it.”
Benishek voiced his position on Medicare when he spoke with ABC 10.
“We actually passed Medicare reform last year, where we actually improved sustainability of Medicare by improving the balance sheet by 3 trillion dollars,” said Benishek. “We’re absolutely committed to make sure that Medicare stays viable in the long term and that we need to continue to do that.”
Supporters at the demonstration said they are hoping to encourage Presidential hopefuls to support Medicare as the election season approaches.