Biden Promises to Defend Social Programmes in Florida Speech

United States President Joe Biden has pitched himself as a defender of retirement and healthcare programmes during a speech in the southern state of Florida, promising to protect Medicare and Social Security against any proposed cuts by Republicans.

Speaking in the city of Tampa, Biden, a Democrat, leaned into statements he had previously made that the rival party could not be trusted to safeguard government benefits.

“Look, I know that a lot of Republicans, their dream is to cut Social Security, Medicare. Well, let me say this. If that’s your dream, I’m your nightmare,” he told the audience at the University of Tampa.

Biden is widely speculated to be preparing for a reelection bid in 2024. In his remarks on Wednesday, he appealed to older Americans, noting that Florida has the highest percentage of senior citizens in the US, along with Maine.

In the US, Medicare is a federal health insurance programme for people ages 65 and up that is also available to certain younger people with disabilities. Social Security, meanwhile, provides benefits for retirement, disability and dependents whose family members pass away.

Biden also reiterated on Wednesday his previous pledge to lower the prices of “prescription drugs” like insulin, a medication used to treat diabetes. Biden has proposed limiting out-of-pocket costs for insulin to $35 a month.

“Bringing down prescription drug costs doesn’t just save seniors money. It would cut the federal budget by hundreds of billions of dollars. Not a joke,” he said to applause.

Aljazeera /Shakirat Sadiq