Former President Trump does not want to admit that he supports major cuts to Social Security and Medicare, even though he has said so. He has backed off those comments. But, Republicans in the House of Republicans are underscoring their desire for major cuts to Social Security and Medicare, report Brett Arends for MarketWatch and Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling for TNR.
The proposed 2025 Republican budget from the Republican Study Committee in the House of Representatives calls for slashing $2.7 trillion from Social Security and Medicare over the next ten years. And, that’s not all. The House Republicans want to raise the age of retirement, which could mean delaying Medicare and Social Security benefits or, at the very least, reductions to those benefits.
To be clear, nothing is clear about the Republican plan other than a desire to cut taxes and spend less on Medicare and Social Security. Republicans see no need to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans.
A recent Gallup poll found that 61 percent of Americans support raising taxes to “ensure Social Security’s long-term future” as compared to 31 percent who support curbing “the amount of benefits for future Social Security recipients.” Arends notes that the percentage of Americans who favor raising taxes to strengthen Social Security has grown significantly over the last 15 years.
Republicans in Congress appear to care little that the majority of Americans, including Republican voters, want to strengthen Social Security through tax increases. They do not want to cut Social Security. However, the Republican Study Committee does attempt to stave off any hostility from people receiving Medicare and Social Security today; their proposal does not affect these Americans.
If they could, Republicans would turn Medicare into Medicare Advantage exclusively and likely cut back on payments to Medicare Advantage plans, driving up costs for older adults and people with disabilities, particularly those who need costly care.
While the Republican Study Committee might not be helping former president Trump by speaking out for Medicare and Social Security cuts, I give the Republicans credit for not hesitating to speak their mind. The Republicans know it’s a long game to achieve these cuts and that’s the hand they are playing.
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