Planned spending cuts would hit some discretionary health programs

While programs like Medicare and Medicaid are virtually untouched by the cuts designed to reduce the deficit, other scheduled trims to the budget will have significant reach. Meanwhile, Democrats find an unlikely ally in their opposition to the GOP Medicare plan.  

The New York Times: Pentagon Gets Attention, But Planned Spending Cuts Range Far And Wide
From cancer research to farm inspectors to grants to cities and states and law enforcement agencies, nearly every sector of government would be affected by the planned $1.2 trillion in cuts (scheduled to go into effect in January), especially in the first year of the nine-year reductions. While many mandatory programs, like Medicare, Social Security and others, are exempt or virtually untouched under the scheduled cuts, known as sequestration, roughly $321 billion would be cut from the "nondefense discretionary" category, which represents scores of government spending areas outside of the military (Steinhauer, 6/21).

The Hill: Rehberg Ad: GOP Plan 'Could Harm The Medicare Program'
Democrats have found a new ally in their attacks on House' Republicans' Medicare plan: two House Republicans. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.), who is challenging Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), criticized the Medicare plan in his latest campaign ad. The ad paints Rehberg as a centrist willing to buck his party -; including its controversial plan to partially privatize Medicare. "Rehberg refused to support a Republican budget plan that could harm the Medicare program so many of Montana's seniors rely on," the ad says (Baker, 6/21).