As Medicare turns 45, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and his fellow Washington Democrats marked the occasion by celebrating their costly and unpopular health care overhaul, which cuts the seniors’ health care program by more than $500 billion.

As The Hill notes today, “Democrats celebrated the 45th anniversary of Medicare becoming law by linking it to the healthcare reform President Obama signed into law earlier this year… Republicans pointed out the irony in tying Obama’s healthcare bill to Medicare, given that the health reform bill made billions in cuts to the program to help pay for Obama’s new system.”

Reid and his fellow Washington Democrats packed more than $500 billion in Medicare cuts into their costly health care overhaul, a law that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported “would not enhance the ability of the government to pay for future Medicare benefits” – effectively transferring health spending from seniors to younger Americans.

Additionally, it has been noted that Reid’s health care overhaul raises costs, opens the door to government rationing of health services, could cause millions of seniors to lose their coverage, and does nothing to address Medicare’s long-term solvency problems.

“As Nevada’s seniors and their families struggle to deal with rising health care costs, today’s Medicare anniversary serves as a reminder that Harry Reid gutted this critical program by $500 billion earlier this year. While Reid and his Washington cronies pop the champagne in his Ritz Carlton condo, his out-of-touch Washington agenda serves as yet another reminder for voters, who will elect Sharron Angle as their next U.S. Senator,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Communications Director Brian Walsh.