Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse speaks with Portsmouth seniors.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse stopped by the Portsmouth Senior Center this afternoon to talk with more than two dozen senior citizens gathered for lunch. Before spending time individually with the folks at every table, Whitehouse offered a few brief remarks on commonly asked questions about the future of Social Security and Medicare.

"On Social Security, I want you to know we're doing okay," said Whitehouse, adding that he was one of the first members the Senate's "Social Security Caucus" who have all pledged to protect the program. "We have about 30 members now," Whitehouse said, which was large enough that "cuts have gone off the table."

The situation on Medicare, however, was more challenging. "House Republicans passed a budget that would have gotten rid of Medicare in ten years," said Whitehouse. "I think that's a terrible mistake, and I'm going to fight hard to keep that from happening."

Whitehouse acknowledged that there are ways to save money in the program, including fraud reduction and managing insurance company excesses. But he reassured seniors that he would fight any efforts to target benefits. In a line that drew applause from the room, Whitehouse said, "My motto is 'No Social Security cuts; no Medicare benefit cuts."

Full disclosure: I support the Senator's fight for our seniors (and the other great work he does.)