CNBC host Becky Quick put Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D., Md.) on his heels over projected CBO medicare "savings" in Obamacare and whether Americans can expect any compromise on entitlements Tuesday on "Squawk Box."
Quick questioned if Van Hollen and Democrats would look at social security specifically, noting modern demographics put the program on unsound footing going forward.
Van Hollen deflected, simply stating Democrats will continue to "pursue the approach [Democrats] have already taken" on entitlements:
BECKY QUICK: Look, I have to say, I realize those are CBO budget numbers, but I take issue with both sides how you get to those numbers, I think it's garbage in and garbage out in either situation, and I think it's unclear what will happen under the new healthcare reform plans. What I do I think is that there are a lot of issues that need to be talked about when it comes to entitlements, do you think both sides will sit down and try and come up with some sort of a way to deal with changing demographics, to deal with people living for much longer than they had originally when things like social security were originally planned, I mean at that point it was 65 - people were expected to die, that's when you started getting your first check?
CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Well, again, we believe we should continue to adopt the approach that we have taken where we have already seen some significant reductions in the per capita increase in healthcare costs. We believe we can build on that approach. But what we have -- what we will not do is what the Ryan Budget does, it's the kind of voucher plan that we have seen. But look, there are ways to further achieve savings in medicare without taking it out on beneficiaries, we believe, and so we will explore those ideas.
Full interview: