House Republican freshmen wrote a letter to President Obama on Tuesday urging him to get Democrats to "stop the political rhetoric" and abandon "Mediscare" tactics.

The letter was signed by 42 freshmen who voted for a budget blueprint that has come under intense criticism for its proposal to replace Medicare with subsidies to purchase private insurance. In their letter, the freshmen remind Obama of his commitment last year to hold a "serious conversation about budget and debt in which we're not simply trying to position ourselves politically."

"We ask that you stand above partisanship, condemn the disingenuous attacks and work with this Congress to reform spending on entitlement programs," the letter reads. "Together, we can deal with the debt crisis now before it is insurmountable."

The letter comes after Republicans blasted Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' testimony last week that the House Republican budget blueprint would lead seniors to "die sooner."

House Republicans have been moving away from their controversial Medicare proposal, and nine Senate Republicans on Tuesday unveiled a budget proposal that doesn't overhaul the program. Also Tuesday, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said that the freshmen appear to be abandoning their support for the Medicare overhaul.

"The GOP freshmen themselves have been somewhat trying to adjust their arguments to what in fact they voted for," Hoyer told reporters.



