DNC Chair Tom Perez and DNC Seniors Council Chair Steve Regenstreif released the following statement on the 55th anniversary of Lyndon B. Johnson signing Medicare and Medicaid into law:

“When President Lyndon Johnson was fighting for the passage of Medicaid and Medicare, he reminded Congress, ‘Whatever we do or hope to do depends upon the health of our people.’ Those words are as true today as they have ever been. Over the past five and a half decades, Medicaid and Medicare have not only improved the health of our people, but served as critical pillars of economic security for millions of Americans.

“These programs have made our nation stronger. That’s why the Obama-Biden administration and Democrats in Congress fought to protect and expand them through the Affordable Care Act. And yet, Republican leaders have taken every opportunity to try to gut Medicaid and Medicare – even in the middle of a global pandemic that has taken over 150,000 American lives. Donald Trump has broken his campaign promises by proposing massive cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security while attempting to strip health care from millions of working families.

“The American people are fed up with such cruel and craven leadership. They want a party and a president who have their back. Democrats believe health care is a right for all, not a privilege for a wealthy few. And Vice President Biden has put forth a bold blueprint to strengthen these programs for a new era, defeat Republican attacks on the health of our people, and build a better health care system for all Americans. The best way we can celebrate 55 years of Medicaid and Medicare is by electing Joe Biden as the next president of the United States.”