Jake Johnson reports for Common Dreams on the Republican push in Congress for a “Fiscal Commission” and the Democratic pushback against it. Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden correctly calls the proposed Commission a “backroom scheme” to cut Medicare and Social Security.
The House Budget Committee’s Fiscal Commission Act, which Republicans intend to link to a must-pass government funding bill, would allow Congress to cut “Americans’ earned benefits” behind closed doors, said Senator Wyden.
Senator Wyden and the overwhelming majority of Democrats oppose the Commission. Wyden argues that Congress should be raising taxes to strengthen Medicare and Social Security: “Instead of trying to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, Republicans should work with Democrats to ensure the wealthy pay their fair share, which would go a long way towards securing Social Security and Medicare long into the future.” Go, Wyden! (If only Senator Wyden would speak as fervently against the tens of billions in overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans, which is endangering Medicare as well.)
The question now is whether the Democrat-led Senate will allow he Fiscal Commission Act to become law. If so, the Commission, a 16-person panel, made up of members of Congress from the House and Senate and private sector influentials, would develop and vote on Medicare and Social Security policies that Congress would consider passing into law, with no amendments permitted.
It’s no secret that Republicans want to privatize both Social Security and Medicare and cut spending, leaving older adults and people with disabilities at even greater financial and health risk than they already are. Republicans have no intention of enacting legislation that would raise revenue to strengthen these programs and never have. Indeed, Republican members voted against a change to the Fiscal Commission legislation that included this language concerning the work of the Fiscal Commission: It “shall propose recommendations to strengthen and secure Social Security” by “protecting Social Security benefits” and requiring the wealthy to contribute more to the program.
Republicans also rejected the following proposed language about the role of the Fiscal Commission: It “shall propose recommendations to strengthen and secure Medicare” by “protecting the traditional Medicare program” and extending its solvency by “requiring taxpayers with incomes above $400,000 to contribute more” and closing a loophole that allows rich business owners to avoid Medicare taxes.
It’s also no secret that Trump, if reelected, stands with these Republicans in Congress. “Donald Trump can’t hide from his own words: He told the American people four years ago that he would cut Social Security and Medicare if he ever got a second term in office, and has only doubled down on his pledge to gut these critical programs since then. After proposing disastrous cuts to Social Security and Medicare in every single one of his budgets as president, Trump is still running on the same out-of-touch plans that would threaten the pocketbooks of America’s seniors,” said Alex Floyd of the DNC.
Republicans believe we spend too much money on Medicare and Social Security. But, they are not speaking out against the massive Medicare Advantage overpayments. Moreover, Social Security and Medicare Part A–hospital insurance–are self-funded. And, both Medicare and Social Security offer critical supports to the most vulnerable Americans. Without them, our government will endanger the lives of millions of our parents and grandparents.
Here’s more from Just Care:
- Expand Social Security, don’t means test it
- 2023: Congress should scrap the Social Security cap
- Honor US workers, increase Social Security benefits
- Poll: More than 75 percent of Americans support strengthening Social Security
- More than one in four older adults skip care because of cost
…this has to be the worst “poison pill” legislation The (T)s are literally blackmailing the (D)s in “damned if they do or don’t” situation. Either allow the (R)s to do what they’ve pushed for years and throw our senor and disabled citizens under the bus (and likely out on the streets) or allow a government shutdown. This “commission” will also go after the social programmes like SNAP/EBT, Low Income housing, and utility assistance all of which many seniors and disabled depend on to survive.
This amounts to little more than political terrorism as the (R)s plan to hold the nation’s funding hostage unless this commission isn’t approved and then blame whatever choice is made on the other party. This kind of rubbish needs to stop. It further illustrates that the GOP puts party above the nation and its citizens and doesn’t care if our most vulnerable sink or swim.
The root of all our budget troubles are the four massive tax cuts over the years (which began during the Reagan administration) that primarily benefited the wealthy and corporations. The big deficits that we face every as well as increase in the national debt year are a direct result. Corporate taxes dropped from 75% to 21% while tax revenue from the wealthy also significantly declined as well. This effectively has starved the nation financially. To make up for the increasing shortfall the (R)s put the blame totally on what they call “entitlements” (the only real “entitles ones are those who benefited from all these tax breaks and loopholes that cheat the nation). These tax breaks have also accelerated the inequality in earnings and wealth. to the point it is far worse than the gilded age of over a century ago and only growing.
Effectively the average citizen, including our most vulnerable ones, have been forced to carry the burden of the wealthy and corporations on our backs though social spending cuts and a higher tax rate relative to earnings. They get to live the “good life” while corporations rake in obscene profits (which the plough into stock buybacks that make their executives and wealthy shareholders even richer) while the rest of us scrape and struggle more and more to just to survive.
This “commission” along with the GOP are a true “death panel” as the cuts to these programmes will sentence many seniors and disabled to the harsh dog eat dog existence of life on the streets where many of us no longer have what it takes to survive.
This is a case where the line veto need to be invoked. as the (R)s are purposely sabotaging theiir rival party and the administration while we are their “cannon fodder”. That is not serving the nation and its citizens , which they took an oath of office to do, that is only serving themselves.
This is not only political terrorism, but basically, “geronticide”.
BCS