Democratic Congressional Candidate Vinnie Gentile went on the attack today lashing out at his GOP opponent Dan Donovan for the Republican-controlled House that proposed a budget which he said would privatize Medicare, end Medicaid as we know it, and repeal the Affordable Care Act.
“There extreme proposal has made one thing clear: a vote for me is a vote to save Medicare and Medicaid,” said Gentile. “This declaration of war on seniors and hardworking Americans is motivated by one thing: politicians putting their party’s radical agenda before the people they represent. My opponent has chosen to run and hide, hoping that no one is paying attention, while his party turns their back on the very Americans who need them most.”
Gentile said while average Americans have a hard enough time trying to make ends meet, and that Congress should be working to create jobs and put money in people’s pockets.
“Instead, the Republicans have proposed an extreme budget that would support the super-rich while sticking it to seniors and hardworking New Yorkers. When I’m elected to Congress, I will fight for the thousands of Brooklynites and Staten Islanders who rely on Medicare and Medicaid every single day of their lives,” he said.
But Donovan spokesperson Jessica Proud shot back that Gentile is scare tactics for the district’s seniors, and that the GOP budget is just a part of the budget negotiation process.
“This budget is not perfect, however it is just a starting point for negotiations. Dan’s top priority is protecting the commitments government has already made to our seniors while finding a balance between what taxpayers can afford and ensuring we have a strong safety net for those truly in need,” Proud said.
Proud also took aim at Gentile for not understanding the nature of Congressional horse trading to get things done in Washington. She reflected on this when asked if she thought Gentile was capable of compromise in reaching a consensus to unlock Washington gridlock.
“He voted with de Blasio 99% of the time and since he is the biggest partisan ideologue there is I highly doubt it,” she said.
The special election for the 11th Congressional District seat covering Staten Island and parts of Southern Brooklyn is May 5.
