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All Washington seems to be buzzing this week over a single question: Is Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) deliberately trying to throw the election to the Democrats?
At the root of the debate are interviews the Senate majority leader gave to Bloomberg and Reuters on Tuesday and Wednesday. McConnell identified “entitlements” — that’s Washington code for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid — as “the real drivers of the debt” and called for them to be adjusted “to the demographics of the future.”
Translation: He wants to cut benefits.
In terms of Republican orthodoxy, McConnell’s remarks are nothing new. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) each made exactly the same point last November and December. McConnell himself has made the point before, including during a speech in his home state in 2013.
McConnell’s position on the social insurance programs fits in with Republican policy on the Affordable Care Act; as it happens, the majority leader also telegraphed a plan to try again to repeal the ACA after the midterm elections. That’s despite indications that the ACA is becoming more popular with the public, not less, and voters’ concerns about preserving its protections for those with preexisting conditions may be driving them to the polls — and not to vote Republican.
While Trump has said of recent about cutting benefits Trump said some 16 years ago,
Going back further in time, we found statements contradicting his statements during the campaign, such as when, in his 2000 book, The America We Deserve, Trump compared Social Security to a Ponzi scheme. “The pyramids are made of papier-mâché,” he wrote, going on to suggest that the retirement age be raised to 70 and the system be at least partially privatized. But that was 16 years ago. He’s said nothing of the kind more recently.
So you would rather they just disappear in the next 20 years? Every time ANYONE comes up with a plan to FIX SS and medicaid the left whines but won't tell us how to save them. As far as Obamacare...pft BYE!
All Washington seems to be buzzing this week over a single question: Is Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) deliberately trying to throw the election to the Democrats?
At the root of the debate are interviews the Senate majority leader gave to Bloomberg and Reuters on Tuesday and Wednesday. McConnell identified “entitlements” — that’s Washington code for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid — as “the real drivers of the debt” and called for them to be adjusted “to the demographics of the future.”
Translation: He wants to cut benefits.
In terms of Republican orthodoxy, McConnell’s remarks are nothing new. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) each made exactly the same point last November and December. McConnell himself has made the point before, including during a speech in his home state in 2013.
McConnell’s position on the social insurance programs fits in with Republican policy on the Affordable Care Act; as it happens, the majority leader also telegraphed a plan to try again to repeal the ACA after the midterm elections. That’s despite indications that the ACA is becoming more popular with the public, not less, and voters’ concerns about preserving its protections for those with preexisting conditions may be driving them to the polls — and not to vote Republican.
While Trump has said of recent about cutting benefits Trump said some 16 years ago,
Going back further in time, we found statements contradicting his statements during the campaign, such as when, in his 2000 book, The America We Deserve, Trump compared Social Security to a Ponzi scheme. “The pyramids are made of papier-mâché,” he wrote, going on to suggest that the retirement age be raised to 70 and the system be at least partially privatized. But that was 16 years ago. He’s said nothing of the kind more recently.
Thank you for your translation of what wasn't said, and your interpretation of code words you THINK were said. Wait.. that wasn't you. That's what the author of the article wrote. Quotation marks are a good thing.
Anyway, *sigh* same-old same-old. According to Dems, Republicans were going to cut SS and Medicare decades ago--right after they pushed Granny off the cliff.
So you would rather they just disappear in the next 20 years? Every time ANYONE comes up with a plan to FIX SS and medicaid the left whines but won't tell us how to save them. As far as Obamacare...pft BYE!
Go on blame the one who posted the article. I don’t see the conservatives having an answer either, but then again seeing that is no real difference between the two parties is the real problem here.
I would have a lot more respect for them if they actually made spending cuts that offset the tax cuts. They would likely lose a lot of elections over it though.
Raising the retirement ago to 70 is a good idea. With people living until their eighties and nineties, why sit around for twenty years or more on a fixed income? I’m sure many people have planned for a comfortable retirement but there are many more who can’t afford to live on social security and whatever else they have managed to put by. Having more income and the opportunity to invest longer, makes good sense.
Medicare and Medicaid have untold waste. They are both way overdue for an overhaul. If Washington could just trim the waste and fraud of these agencies, there would be no worries about having enough money.
Raising the retirement ago to 70 is a good idea. With people living until their eighties and nineties, why sit around for twenty years or more on a fixed income? I’m sure many people have planned for a comfortable retirement but there are many more who can’t afford to live on social security and whatever else they have managed to put by. Having more income and the opportunity to invest longer, makes good sense.
Medicare and Medicaid have untold waste. They are both way overdue for an overhaul. If Washington could just trim the waste and fraud of these agencies, there would be no worries about having enough money.
But what about the $30,000 table and chairs that Dr. Ben Carson bought for his gov’t office. Trump people sure are profligate with our tax $$’s.. Then there is Trump appointee, Scott Pruitt, who put a $43,000 soundproof phone booth in his office. Yeah, I sure want Trump to cut my Social Security so his guys can have nice, plush offices. Give me a break!!
It would appear that unlike most of the left, Mitch actually understands the math! Entitlements must be addressed...you can't keep kicking the can down the road forever!
A.) Giving the richest 1% of Americans $2.3 trillion dollars in tax cuts, greatly increasing military spending, and then cutting Social Security.
B.) Not giving the richest 1% of Americans $2.3 trillion dollars in tax cuts, decreasing military spending, and using that money to fund Social Security.
And a question, why is Social Security spending a problem, but trillions of dollars in supply side tax cut and military spending not a problem?
If you read the recent budget reports on SS and Medicare both paying out more than they take in over the next 10 years, something needs to be done with these programs. Its not about party affiliation, its about mathematics.
McConnell's timing on this is really poor coming on the heels of a trillion dollar give away but there does need to be bipartisan support to address the shortfalls.
And Social Security does not need to be cut, rather it needs to be adjusted like it was adjusted in 1983. "In the late 1970s and early 1980s Social Security ran deficits. Trust fund insolvency loomed in July 1983. With mere months of solvency left, Congress acted to bolster finances on April 20, 1983. SSA still operates under the 1983 funding arrangement, generating surpluses every year since." Exposing the Social Security solvency hype - MarketWatch
And Medicare is also in a similar situation. Medicare’s Hospital Insurance trust fund will be able to pay 100% of the costs of the hospital insurance coverage through 2029. And in 2029 incoming payroll taxes and other revenue will be able to pay 88% of Medicare costs, in 2041 Medicare will be able to pay 81% of the costs, and in 2041 88% of Medicare costs will be covered. https://www.cbpp.org/research/health...s-not-bankrupt
Republicans claim Social Security is going bankrupt in order to transfer Social Security funding to supply side tax cuts and to privatize Social Security and transfer Social Security funds to Wall Street corporations. And republicans claim Medicare is running out of money to push their welfare cuts agenda. ex.ex.
"that’s Washington code for..." Please tell us where to get a copy of THE code book!
"Translation" And a copy of the translation book.
Anybody serious about these things knows changes have to be made to ensure their sustainability.
Yeah like not cutting taxes so deep for the 1% and corporations would be a grand start.
Anybody serious about the annual and overall deficit knows changes have to be made to ensure fiscal sustainability.
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Wait.. that wasn't you. That's what the author of the article wrote. Quotation marks are a good thing.
