House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said that if Republicans win control of the House the GOP will use raising the debt limit as leverage to force spending cuts — which could include cuts to Medicare and Social Security — and limit additional funding to Ukraine. ...Pressed on whether changes to the entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security were part of the debt ceiling discussions, McCarthy said he would not “predetermine” anything. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/10/18/mccarthy-gop-medicare-social-security/ NO PAYWALL LINK https://archive.ph/srwKv
Scalise acknowledges GOP plan to change Social Security, Medicare The first is the nature of the GOP pitch: Republicans don’t intend to “cut” Social Security and Medicare, Scalise argued, so much as the party intends to “shore up” the programs’ finances. At first blush, that might sound worthwhile, but as the Bloomberg report added, “To avoid insolvency in the programs, spending would need to be cut, revenue raised or some combination of the two.” Quite right. Indeed, the arithmetic is stubborn: If Republicans intend to “strengthen” the social insurance programs — sometimes referred to as “entitlements” — Social Security and Medicare would need to either spend less money, take in more money, or some combination of the two. GOP officials aren’t about to raise taxes anytime soon, so that necessarily means spending less on benefits that Americans currently enjoy. Scalise doesn’t want that to be seen as a “cut.” https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow...lan-change-social-security-medicare-rcna52578
McCarthy is not the first Republican to say he is open to changes in the entitlement programs. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) has suggested that Social Security and Medicare be eliminated as federal entitlement programs, and that they should instead become programs approved by Congress on an annual basis as discretionary spending. Those who work in the United States pay Social Security and Medicare taxes that go into federal trust funds. Upon retirement, based on a person’s lifetime earnings and other factors, a retiree is eligible to receive monthly Social Security payments. Similarly, Medicare is the federal health insurance program that kicks in for people 65 and older, or for others who have disabilities. “If you qualify for the entitlement, you just get it no matter what the cost,” Johnson said. “And our problem in this country is that more than 70 percent of our federal budget, of our federal spending, is all mandatory spending. It’s on automatic pilot. It never — you just don’t do proper oversight. You don’t get in there and fix the programs going bankrupt. It’s just on automatic pilot.” https://archive.ph/srwKv#selection-599.0-646.0 YEP, SS AND MEDICARE ARE FUNDED BY THEIR OWN TAXES, EXCEPT MEDICARE PART D THE GOP PASSED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IN 2003, WHICH WILL COST $110 BILLION THIS YEAR
SS AND MEDICARE ARE FUNDED BY THEIR OWN TAXES, EXCEPT MEDICARE PART D THE GOP PASSED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IN 2003, WHICH WILL COST $110 BILLION THIS YEAR
Yep, and they will happily hold the country hostage again, just like the last time, which affected our creditworthiness. People forget that the American dollar is the gold standard. The last time the GOP ran this stunt, it almost dearly cost us economically. They're determined to make things worse, not better.
Cutting MC or SS will go over like a fart in an elevator... sounds more like the typical fearmongering that goes along with any attempt at fiscal responsibility. Whichever party actually does it autofails the next election. So no one ever does it, but talks endlessly about how 'the other team is sure to do it!' But lets discuss limiting aid to Ukraine. If not to avoid tossing our money into the "black hole" of unaccountability that is that warzone, then how bout to reduce the risk of WWfing3? ...and maybe Israel, while were at it. And lots of other countries that shouldnt take financial precedent over our own domestic problems.
But the GOP claim 70% of the spending is "required", as if SS and Medicare, at least until those "fiscally rsponsible" Repugnithans passed the pork for Pharma, Medicare Part D in 2003, ARE SELF FUNDED Democrats, who overwhelmingly opposed the legislation Just How Did Medicare Bill Get Passed? https://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=128998&page=1 $110 BILLION OF COURSE UNFUNDED BY THE GOP, THIS YEAR ALONE, AS THE GOP TRIES TO STOP MEDICARE FROM NEGOTIATING DRUG PRICES (THEY RESTRICTED THAT IN THE ORIGINAL BILL) GOP senators introduce bill to undo Medicare prescription drug negotiation https://seekingalpha.com/news/38900...o-undo-medicare-prescription-drug-negotiation GAO: Medicare Part D Pays Twice As Much for Same Drugs as VA https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-111 LET'S GO FISCAL CONSERVATIVES WOO HOO
But can we discuss limiting aid to Ukraine? If not to avoid tossing our money into the "black hole" of unaccountability that is that warzone, then how bout to reduce the risk of WWfing3? ...and maybe Israel, while were at it. And lots of other countries that shouldnt take financial precedent over our own domestic problems.
And yet many, even among those who are more attuned to politics, as our membership here, actually think of the idea of "divided government," as a good thing, because they believe that the gridlock, prevents government from causing any, or as much, harm.
Sure we can discuss it, I understand the Pro Putin party wants to end support for a free and democratically elected Gov't to support a dictator. And? Oh I forget in right wing world we can't walk and chew gum at the same time In 2018, last year I found, US spent 1.2% of our budget on foreign aid
We desperately need to have an informed, national discussion on spending reduction and tax revenue increases. It should be done under the guise of personal sacrifice for the sake of the nation. The longer we put it off the worse the debt becomes.
There are LOTS of places they could cut spending. You would be shocked what they are spending OUR money on
It would appear that Vlad has turned up the heat on Musk, Trump and the R Party to carry his water. The dark money is talking.
This is why I can't bother cheering for the GOP to take the House. They are just going to waste it in stupid performance art like the debt limit dance. If they were serious they would just let the debt ceiling go and pass an amendment to Balance the Budget. Instead we'll get nonsense like this, so when the GOP loses the House two years later, it won't matter,
Lets see propsals? Guess what they will be proposing? Hint it's to support Putin AND not to help the seniors or poor in America!!
Debt ceiling isfor what we already spent IF the GOP was serious, they would've cut spending WHILE gutting taxes (revenues) under Ronnie, Dubya and Diaper Donnie
LMAOROG, Damn socialist. It's pretty simple to see where all the debt, upping spending and lack of revenues has come from, 40+ years of Reaganomics (Dubya/Diaper Don)
Remember when Classified Joe said that he would not hold discussions on the debt limit? He was lying of course. Biden, McCarthy To Discuss Debt Limit in Talks on Wednesday House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is working on offering Classified Joe a “reasonable and responsible way to lift the debt ceiling.” McCarthy, R-Calif., wants reasonable spending cuts along with raising the debt limit, saving the fiscal integrity of the US, Social Security and Medicare.
