Washington’s 8th Congressional District U.S. Rep. David Reichert is a traitor to his senior constituents and their family members.

He has introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives the Trade Adjustment Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2015 (H.R. 1892) that would pay for the funding of the TAA through what amounts to a $700 million cut to Medicare over 10 years.

It is understandable that Congress may want to provide American workers some compensation when trade deals, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership that the Obama administration is negotiating, sends their jobs overseas. However, it is intolerable for this to be paid for by senior citizens on Medicare as Rep. Reichert’s bill would do.

More than 50 million seniors currently rely on Medicare and 10,000 more Americans are turning age 65 for Medicare eligibility every day and will continue to do so well into the next decade.

Rep. Reichert’s constituents should call his district offices in Issaquah (425-677-7414) or Wenatchee (509-885-6615). Tell his staff they should advise Rep. Reichert to withdraw his proposal to fund the TAA by robbing money from the Medicare Trust Fund.

Rep. Reichert should apologize to his constituents that he proposed such a stupid idea.

Gordon Gipson

Lake Tapps