OPINION

Frank Says He's Willing to Talk Entitlement Reform

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In an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe Wednesday, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., said that some Democrats were willing to negotiate with Republicans on reforming entitlements, particularly changing the way Medicare and Medicaid are paid to all Americans regardless of their desire.

“We have public policies that force medical care on people who don't want it. They are old, sick, in pain, and living a life that is not what it should be. I am in favor of making it easier for them to decide they don't want more care. It saves tens of billions of dollars and, I think, accommodates people’s wishes,” he said.

He also said he was in favor of increasing the co-pay on Medicare payments with income; taxing Social Security benefits for people who reach a certain level of income and recycling that money back into the Social Security system; and making hundreds of billions of dollars of cuts to the defense budget.