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Congress should lift debt ceiling, protect against Republican threats to Social Security and Medicare

Written by

Diane Archer

in

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In an op-ed for The Hill, Nancy Altman, Chair of Social Security Works, speaks to the Democrats’ need to lift the debt ceiling during the lame duck session of Congress. If they don’t, the Republicans have made clear that they will refuse to raise the debt ceiling without cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

The public supports strengthening and expanding Social Security and Medicare. Still, Republican policymakers have said and continue to say that they want to cut these programs. Medicare and Social Security demonstrate that government can be a force of good. Privatizing them, however, would be good only for Wall Street.

It’s because the Republicans in Congress have claimed they want to cut Social Security that the so-called “red wave” turned into a “red mirage.”  For example, in Arizona, Mark Kelly prevailed against Blake Masters, who argued for turning  Social Security over to Wall Street during his campaign. Similarly, in New Hampshire, Maggie Hassan prevailed against Don Bolduc, whose campaign platform included cutting and privatizing both Social Security and Medicare.

In Wisconsin, Ron Johnson nearly lost re-election. He had argued for cutting Social Security and Medicare in coded language. He said that he wanted to turn Social Security and Medicare into “earned benefits,” which is code for eliminating their guaranteed benefits.

But, this all notwithstanding, the Republicans will hold a slim majority in the House in 2023. And, they plan to use that majority to prevent Congress from raising the debt ceiling, endangering the US and worldwide economy . . . unless Congress cuts Medicare and Social Security.

Altman notes that Republicans have said explicitly and repeatedly that they plan to hold the economy hostage. The Republican candidates for the House Budget Committee all told Bloomberg of their intention to insist on cuts to Social Security and Medicare in exchange for their support for raising the debt ceiling.

The incoming House Majority Leader, Kevin McCarthy has not explicitly said he wanted these cuts. But, he has made clear that he wants big policy changes–implying cuts to Social Security and Medicare–in exchange for Republican support for lifting the debt ceiling. Representative Buddy Carter of Georgia said that Republicans’ “main focus” was on “entitlements,” code for Medicare and Social Security.
If you have doubts that Republicans would follow through on their threat, you need only look to 2011 and 2013 when they attempted to carry it out. Fortunately, they failed to cut Social Security and Medicare as a result of grassroots opposition. However, they did succeed at cutting some discretionary spending programs.
The wisest course for Democrats would be to act now to raise the debt ceiling or end it altogether, before the Republicans take control of the House in the new year. That way, they could be sure to protect Social Security and Medicare.
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Comments

3 responses to “Congress should lift debt ceiling, protect against Republican threats to Social Security and Medicare”

  1. Rick Avatar
    Rick

    With all due respect it’s the Dems who intend to cut Social Security. Enough with the scare tactic.

    BTW: I am not a Republican.

    Reply
    1. Diane Archer Avatar
      Diane Archer

      Please share whatever information you have. While not all Dems support expanding and strengthening Social Security, the overwhelming majority of them do. Just look at the number of co-sponsors on John Larson Social Security 2100 Act.
      https://justcareusa.org/congressman-larson-introduces-the-social-security-2100-act/
      Not a single Republican supports expanding Social Security.

      Reply
  2. B.C. Shelby Avatar
    B.C. Shelby

    …there’s more. Rick Scott wants to put all social spending on a 5 year schedule for being sunset while another (R) who people laud as a hero for standing up to the previous occupant of the Oval Office, Mitt Romney, has crafted a measure called the Trust Act which would fast track gutting Social Security and Medicare in closed door sessions.

    Social Security has bipartisan support from over three quarters of the electorate which includes 77% of (R) voters., yet people still vote for their party’s candidates who plan on pulling the rug out from under them. This is little more than political blackmail to destroy the reputation of their opponents, a “Kobayashi Maru” (no win scenario) for the (D)s who are faced with the choice of abandoning Seniors and disabled citizens or tanking the economy. That is the type of deal kidnappers and terrorist organisations offer.

    This is known as “Poison Pill” legislation and it needs to be done away with.

    Many other nations don’t have debt ceilings and they get along fine. Here it is wielded as a cudgel by partisans (usually the (R)s to get their way. (in fact their president racked up nearly 8$ trillion in debt in just four years a good portion of it in tax cuts and loopholes which primarily benefit those at the top). For all their bellyaching about the deficit, President Biden reduced that by half in only 2 years. (and would have done more had his proposals not been stymied by two saboteurs among his own party who are on the take from Pharma, Wall Street, and the “fossil fuel cartel”) .

    Like the filibuster and gerrymandering (two tools the (R)s have greatly used to their advantage, the latter of which is nothing more than partisan election rigging) It are not provided for by the Constitution. The (D)s can act in the Lame Duck session and use reconciliation to push it through.

    Reply

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