WASHINGTON —
Sen. Scott Brown is refusing to say if he supports turning Medicare into a voucher system, a key part of a House GOP budget plan and a hot-button issue in his 2012 re-election bid.
The Massachusetts Republican said in a statement Tuesday he favors the overall direction Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget takes toward reducing spending. But he declined, through a spokesman, to say if he backs Ryan’s Medicare overhaul, or if he would vote for the budget plan.
Democrats say Ryan’s plan would endanger vulnerable seniors.
Senate Democrats are pushing for a vote on Ryan’s plan in hopes of putting moderate Republicans like Brown on the spot.
Ryan’s Medicare proposal has not been popular with voters, and GOP leaders are backing off from it. — AP
