Would it come as a surprise to anyone following the Paul Ryan story that he would leave seniors at the mercy of the free market of thieves? We can't rely on government for anything, especially when we're
old and frail.
The House of Representatives passed the Senior Financial Empowerment Act. Introduced by Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), the legislation aims to protect seniors targetted by fraudsters and financial criminals ... nearly one in five seniors are defrauded each year. Additionally, according to a report by MetLife Mature Market Institute, "the annual financial loss by victims of elder financial abuse is estimated to be at least $2.6 billion dollars."
With strong bipartisan support ... But 79 Republicans, nearly half of the caucus — including (Paul Ryan)— voted against the legislation.
It's not altogether surprising that Republicans would spurn such federal initiatives — even important and uncontroversial ones — on pure anti-government principles. But sometimes, it leaves many of us scratching our heads. What exactly is the principle behind opposing legislation aimed at protecting seniors from fraud? Do they see it as a government takeover of the "avoid fraud industry"?
Perhaps the "no" votes reflect the firmly-held belief of many conservatives that if someone is swindled, that's just too darned bad; it's not the government's job to protect people from their own mistakes.
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