'I don’t think it’s right to ask seniors to pay thousands more for health care,' said the president. Obama: GOP plan 'wrong for America'

Echoing the message he delivered in a major speech earlier in the week, President Barack Obama on Saturday said cutting the federal budget will require sacrifices from every American, but that those people who are most economically vulnerable shouldn’t shoulder most of the burden.

“We have to take a balanced approach to reducing our deficit – an approach that protects the middle class, our commitments to seniors, and job-creating investments in things like education and clean energy,” Obama said in his weekly address to the nation. “What’s required is an approach that draws support from both parties, and one that’s based on the values of shared responsibility and shared prosperity.”


Calling the House Republicans’ deficit reduction plan “wrong for America,” Obama maintained that the GOP approach would undermine key American values by slashing investments in education, infrastructure and clean energy, ending Medicare as the country now knows it, and giving tax breaks to the wealthiest individuals.

“I don’t think that’s right,” the president said. “I don’t think it’s right to ask seniors to pay thousands more for health care, or ask students to postpone college, just so we don’t have to ask those who have prospered so much in this land of opportunity to give back a little more.”

In a speech delivered at George Washington University on Wednesday, Obama announced a plan to reduce the deficit by $4 trillion over 12 years. In his weekly address, the president outlined why his is “a balanced approach” that would make a wide range of cuts in areas like defense, health care and the tax code, and he vowed to end tax cuts for the wealthiest.

The president also encouraged people to explore the “ taxpayer receipt” feature on the White House’s official website, which calculates exactly where a person’s federal taxes go. “For the first time ever, there’s a way for you to see exactly how and where your tax dollars are spent, and what’s really at stake in this debate,” he said.

Finally, Obama predicted that as discussions on cutting spending continue, Republicans and Democrats will continue to have some strong disagreements, but also expressed confidence that those differences could be bridged.

“You expect us to work together and get this done. And I believe we can,” Obama said. “I believe we can live within our means and live up to the values we share as Americans. And in the weeks to come, I’ll work with anyone who’s willing to get it done.”