POLITICS - Will Ryan's Policies Fly Overall?

"Ryan Resonates with Republican Base, But Will His Policies Fly Overall?" PBS Newshour 8/13/2012

Excerpt

SUMMARY: Rep. Paul Ryan is best known for 'Path to Prosperity,' a fiscal blueprint to overhaul Medicare and cut Medicaid. Gwen Ifill talks to Center on Budget and Policy Priorities' Robert Greenstein, Heritage Foundation's Patrick Knudsen and Roll Call's Steven Dennis on whether Ryan's policy record will help or hurt the GOP ticket.

GWEN IFILL (Newshour): And we return to politics with more on Paul Ryan, the congressman.

As chairman of the House Budget Committee, Ryan is best known in Washington as the author of a fiscal blueprint that passed the GOP-controlled House, but stalled in the Democratic Senate. It would change Medicare to allow future retirees the option of government subsidies for private insurance, index Medicare payments to inflation, and raise the eligibility age from 65 to 67. It would also cut Medicaid, which provides support for the poor, disabled, and elderly, largely turning it over to the states.

Will Ryan's vision help or hurt the Republican ticket?

Joining us to sort through the particulars are Robert Greenstein of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Patrick Knudsen, a senior budget expert at the Heritage Foundation who spent 20 years working on budget issues on Capitol Hill, and Steven Dennis, a reporter for Roll Call who has covered the Ryan plan.