WASHINGTON Top Democrats spoke at a Wednesday press conference on Capitol Hill to warn President-elect Donald Trump and the Republican Congress against privatizing Medicare.

It is not yet clear whether Trump has the same appetite as House Republicans to take on transforming the massive health care program for seniors and people with disabilities. But Democrats are not waiting for him or their congressional colleagues to make the first move, and vowed on Wednesday to hang any benefit cuts around the candidates neck like a millstone.

And Democrats have a major advantage: Top Republicans like House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) are eager to turn Medicare into a voucher, but Trump ran on protecting, not cutting, the program.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), speaking alongside incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and three other House Democrats, wielded Trumps words against him.

Let me begin with a quote made by a Republican candidate for president a candidate who reached out to working people and who reached out to senior citizens and during the campaign this is what that Republican candidate said. He said: I am not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican. And I am not going cut Medicare or Medicaid. Every other Republican is going to cut them end of quote, Sanders said.

Mr. Trump, we are going to hold you accountable! he continued, drawing applause from the dozen or so activists in attendance.

Ryan has discussed his interest in using legislation that would repeal Obamacare to transform Medicare as well. He has falsely claimed that the reform law hurt Medicares finances, when it actually extended its solvency.

For years, Ryan has backed plans to transform Medicare from a government-provided insurance plan to a flat voucher with that seniors would have to purchase their own insurance. Many health care experts warn that the voucher plan could endanger traditional Medicare as private plans lure healthier, more affluent seniors away. They also warn that the voucher would almost certainly fail to keep pace with the cost of health care.

Senate Republicans, wary of Medicares popularity, have already signaled they are less than enthusiastic about the idea.

Trump has not spoken on the matter since the election. However, Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) , his nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, is an ardent supporter of voucherizing Medicare which some progressive advocates see as a sign that the president-elect may be yielding to Republican conservatives on health care issues.