Why do Republicans want to get rid of Medicare?
Jul 28, 2021 · Jake Johnson reports in Common Dreams that Senator Lindsey Graham is using the Republicans’ leverage in Congress to cut Social Security and Medicare. Only if Democrats agree to these cuts would Republicans agree to raise the federal debt ceiling. Americans pay into Social Security and Medicare throughout their working lives. They earn these benefits.
Will Republicans cut Social Security and Medicare after tax cuts pass?
Republicans in Congress wanted to hold the debt ceiling hostage to force benefit cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, and even Social Security. If they can’t get these cuts by threatening the solvency of our nation, their next opportunity will come as Congress attempts to craft a deficit reduction plan to avoid the $110 billion in automatic cuts delayed in the fiscal cliff legislation.
Are cuts to Medicaid and Medicare the GOP’s goal?
Apr 16, 2021 · Republicans Target Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. getty. The economy is recovering from the depths of the pandemic in large part due to the massive relief packages that Congress passed in ...
Are Republicans scheming to ‘take away’ Medicaid?
Apr 14, 2021 · Thirty-eight Republicans voted Tuesday against a bipartisan bill to stop massive cuts to the federal Medicare program. The legislation ultimately passed by a margin of 384-38. The same language passed easily in the Senate on March 25, by a 90-2 vote. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden for his signature.
Who is the Republican who slashed Social Security?
Robert Reich explains the longtime Republican plan to slash Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
How many people would lose health insurance?
Lawrence O’Donnell talks to Ezra Klein about the “catastrophic” CBO report – which estimates 22 million people would lose health care coverage – and GOP Rep. David Jolly shares his personal story of what happened when he found himself unemployed and uninsured. (June 26, 2017)
How much debt did the Bush administration have?
Under president Bush, Republicans ran up a huge debt of 10 Trillion Dollars. Now, they want to balance the budget on the backs of the poor and middle class, by cutting food stamps, social security, medicare and medicaid while refusing to cut military spending.
What do Paul Ryan and Republicans want to do?
Paul Ryan and Republicans want to give tax breaks to the rich and make the middle class & the poor pay for those tax breaks by increasing their taxes AND cutting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
Did the Senate GOP draft a secret health care bill?
Senate GOP drafted a secret, partisan health care bill behind closed doors, refusing any meaningful bipartisan input on the bill and refusing to hold any hearings on this legislation that would impact one sixth of our economy. Senate Democrats today urged the GOP to reverse course on this tactic and release to the public the legislation that would impact the health and bottom lines of millions of Americans. (Jun 13, 2017)
Will Trump cut Medicare?
Despite Trump’s promises NOT to cut Medicare, Medicaid & Social Security, that is exactly what he intends to do IF he is re-elected in 2020.
Did Democrats succeed in keeping the benefit cuts out of the short term fiscal cliff?
Democrats in Congress succeeded in keeping these devastating benefit cuts out of the short-term “fiscal cliff” deal. Unfortunately, important leverage was also lost. Washington’s well-financed anti-entitlement lobby continues to pretend that “shared sacrifice” means that if a millionaire loses a tax break (which he or she doesn’t need and America can’t afford) then the middle-class and poor must also pay more for or risk losing their health care benefits in Medicare and Medicaid. [Source: http://ncpssm.org/EntitledtoKnow/entryid/1962/Cutting-Medicare-Medicaid-Social-Security-in-the-113th-Congress]
When did the Cares Act expire?
The pandemic-related deficits are mainly temporary. Congress enacted the CARES Act in March 2020, which offered temporary relief mainly to families, unemployed workers and closed business. Most of its provisions expired in the second half of 2020. The newly elected Congress then enacted the American Rescue Plan in March 2021.
Will the Federal Reserve keep interest rates low?
The Federal Reserve will also likely keep interest rates low for some time. Congress will eventually need to worry about the long-term health of the U.S. government, but that does not mean a balanced budget, especially one that is achieved by cutting only vital programs.
Is the program cutting push for a balanced budget wrong?
The program-cutting push for a balanced budget ignores two key aspects of fiscal policy. First, it matters whether fiscal interactions create temporary or permanent deficits and second, it matters whether the spending or tax cuts underlying the deficits resulted in faster growth. On both counts, using the pandemic-related fiscal measures to justify cuts for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is wrong.
Does the Cares Act help the economy?
In contrast, the CARES Act offered much needed relief amid the worst unemployment crisis since the Great Depression, while it helped to stem the tide on declining economic growth. And experts predict that ARPA will boost economic growth to its highest rate in decades.
Did the Republican senators push for Medicare and Social Security?
Republican Senators Push Social Security, Medicare And Medicaid Cuts After Supporting Ineffective Tax Cuts. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. The economy is recovering from the depths of the pandemic in large part due to the massive relief packages that Congress passed in 2020 and 2021.
Why did Matt Gaetz vote to allow Medicare cuts?
Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said in a statement that he voted to allow the cuts because the bill "fails to address the financial needs of our country now, in real time [... and] allows Medicare to circumvent the rules to add on to an already unbalanced budget.".
Why was the American Rescue Plan enacted without a Republican vote?
The legislation was necessary because the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan — enacted without a single Republican vote — relied on deficit spending. Under the 2010 Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act, that relief package automatically triggered cuts to Medicare, farm subsidies, and other programs.
What was the effect of the 2010 Pay As You Go Act?
Under the 2010 Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act, that relief package automatically triggered cuts to Medicare, farm subsidies, and other programs. According to an estimate by the Congressional Budget Office, this would have resulted in $36 billion in Medicare reductions and tens of billions in cuts to other things.
Did the GOP vote to let the cuts happen?
But rather than fix it, the GOP lawmakers on Tuesday voted to let the cuts happen.
Will Medicare be cut in 2031?
Tuesday's legislation will prevent those automatic Medicare cu ts for this year, but extend the deficit reduction provisions by an extra year — leaving them in place until the 2031 budget. On March 19, the House passed a bill by Budget Committee Chair John Yarmuth, to prevent all of the automatic budget cuts triggered by the law.
How much did Medicare cut in 2018?
Congressional Republicans proposed these cuts after passing a budget resolution last year that cut Medicare by $473 billion. The 2018 budget resolution passed by Republicans in December 2017 cut Medicare by $473 billion.
Did the ACA repeal the Medicare?
Congressional Republicans repealed several components of the ACA designed to help keep Medicare’s costs down, effectively driving up costs for the program. By repealing the requirement that most people have insurance, Congressional Republicans knowingly voted for a measure expected to increase the number of uninsured. The 2018 Medicare Trustees Report predicts that this increase will increase the share of subsidies paid to hospitals via Medicare. Similarly, by repealing the Independent Payment Advisory Board, Congressional Republicans took away a mechanism that slowed Medicare cost growth.
Can Medicare negotiate with drug manufacturers?
As the cost of drugs skyrocket, President Trump and his Republican allies in Congress will not allow Medicare to negotiate for better prescription drug prices. Under current law, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is explicitly prohibited from negotiating directly with drug manufacturers on behalf of Medicare Part D enrollees. Although it would decrease both federal spending and beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs, a policy allowing the federal government to negotiate drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries was noticeably absent from President Trump’s recent prescription drug announcement.
What are the causes of the shortfall in Medicare?
The trustees of Social Security and Medicare say that an aging Baby Boomer population, combined with lower fertility rates amongst younger generations are contributing to the funding shortfall.
When will Medicare become insolvent?
Experts say the cost of Medicare and Social Security will become insolvent within the next two decades. Medicare will become insolvent in 2026, according to the program’s trustees, and trust funds for Social Security will be depleted by 2034.
How much was spent on Social Security in 2018?
In fiscal year 2018, nearly half ($1.95 trillion) of federal spending was directed toward the major entitlement programs: $977 billion was spent on Social Security, $585 billion on Medicare and $389 billion on Medicaid.
Who said cuts to entitlements are needed to tackle the deficit?
Stivers was echoing the sentiments of party leaders like House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who argue that cuts to entitlements are needed to tackle the deficit. “Frankly, it’s the health care entitlements that are the big drivers of our debt.
Who said the government has spent too much?
Instead of blaming the deficit on tax cuts, White House chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow said in September that the government has “spent too much” and that the White House would like to “slim that down as much as possible.”. “People are quick to blame deficits on tax cuts but I don’t buy that,” Kudlow said.
What is the wonky term for federal programs that automatically allocate benefits to qualified recipients?
The release goes on to cite specific comments by Republican leaders. These comments focus on changes to "entitlements, " the wonky term for federal programs that automatically allocate benefits to qualified recipients, rather than being dependent on Congress appropriating enough money every year. Entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid account for the largest share of the federal budget.
When did Paul Ryan talk about entitlement reform?
The Senate Democratic release includes two separate comments from House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., in December 2017 talking about returning to entitlement reform in 2018.
Why didn't McConnell say entitlement reforms?
22, 2017, that he does not plan to bring up entitlement reforms in the current environment due to a lack of bipartisan agreement on the sensitive issue.
Did the Senate pass a bill that would have curbed Medicaid?
The House already passed a bill that would have curbed Medicaid, but it died in the Senate. And the Senate -- where Republicans have just a 51-49 edge in a chamber that requires 60 votes for most legislative business -- is expected to be a graveyard for legislation to rein in Medicare and Social Security.
Is a cutback the same as elimination?
Cutbacks aren’t the same as elimination. However, none of the proposals being weighed by Republican lawmakers would eliminate the programs. And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., does not share Ryan's zeal for taking up entitlement changes.
Did Wyden say Republicans are taking away Medicare?
Wyden said, "Republicans in Congress are plotting to take away Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.". Some key Republicans, including Ryan, have long argued in favor of overhauling entitlement programs such as these by reducing the amount of money spent on them. However, no Republican proposal has been made to "take away" any ...
