Obama Rejects Age Increase for Medicare Eligibility

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney revealed Monday that President Barack Obama will not consider raising the Medicare eligibility age to help balance the entitlement program’s books.

“The president’s made clear that we don’t believe that’s the right policy to take,” said Carney.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says raising the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67 would save $125 billion over the decade. Many Republicans support the idea, and Obama previously signaled he would consider a gradual raising of the eligibility age to 67. But no more.

“The White House keeps saying what they won’t do to replace President Obama’s devastating sequester–when will they tell us what they will do, and call on the Senate Democrats to pass it?” said Boehner spokesman Michael Steel.

Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck tweeted: “I’m personally shocked that the White House is ruling out things it previously supported.”