A digital ad campaign targeting Colorado seniors launched Monday by the Democratic National Committee attacks Republicans proposals the Democrats say could jeopardize Social Security and Medicare benefits.

Landing the day after the 87th anniversary of the law establishing Social Security, the ads focus on a plan floated earlier this year by U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, the Florida Republican who heads the GOP’s chief Senate campaign committee, for Congress to reauthorize the popular programs on an annual basis starting in five years, an approach Democrats warns could lead to cuts.

The ads also feature Democratic climate and budget legislation headed to President Joe Biden’s desk that would allow Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, among other health care provisions. 

The DNC is spending “five figures” to stream a 15-second YouTube ad aimed at older residents in Colorado, a spokeswoman for the national party told Colorado Politics. The ad is running in nine states, the DNC said, along with a companion ad on the AARP’s website.

DNC Medicare Social Security digital ad

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More than 900,000 Coloradans receive Social Security benefits, and 930,000 receive health care coverage through Medicare.

“Instead of celebrating Social Security on its 87th birthday, Republicans are doubling down on their ultra-MAGA agenda of cutting Social Security and Medicare, which could put the benefits that Colorado seniors rely on in jeopardy,” DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said in a statement.

“As Democrats are poised to lower prescription drug costs and continue protecting Medicare for seniors, Republicans have rallied behind plans that could slash their hard earned benefits — showing that only one party is fighting for Colorado seniors this November.”

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The Democrats are taking aim at an 11-point plan released by Scott in February, which he described as “not for the faint of heart.”

One item on the agenda includes a proposal to require “[a]ll federal legislation” to “sunset” in five years. “If a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again,” Scott wrote.

In addition to a call for congressional term limits and an immediate 50% cut in funding for the IRS, Scott’s plan says: “Force Congress to issue a report every year telling the public what they plan to do when Social Security and Medicare go bankrupt.”

Democrats have seized on the proposal as an opening to end benefits enjoyed by nearly 70 million Americans, though fact checkers and Republican leaders — including Scott — dispute whether that’s what the GOP is planning.

“No one that I know of wants to sunset Medicare or Social Security, but what we’re doing is we don’t even talk about it,” Scott said in a Fox News interview, responding to Democratic attacks claiming his plan would “eliminate” Social Security and Medicare.

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Added Scott: “Medicare goes bankrupt in four years. Social Security goes bankrupt in 12 years. I think we ought to figure out how we preserve those programs. Every program that we care about, we ought to stop and take the time to preserve those programs.”

Fact checkers have said Scott “went too far” with his contention that the programs will go bankrupt, though some of the federal trust funds will be depleted on that schedule, according to government projections.