Will Republicans use their leverage to cut Social Security and Medicare?
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.
Will Senate Republicans balance the budget within a decade?
Just in time for this recovery, Senate Republicans are pushing for cuts to vital programs. According to news reports, five GOP senators are proposing a commission that would come up with proposals to balance the federal budget within a decade.
Can the pandemic-related deficits justify cuts to Social Security?
On both counts, using the pandemic-related fiscal measures to justify cuts for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is wrong. 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.
Will Lindsey Graham cut Social Security and Medicare benefits?
Alex Lawson, Social Security Works, explains that “Lindsey Graham and his fellow Republicans will stop at nothing to cut the American people’s earned Social Security and Medicare benefits.”
How much was the Medicare tax cut in 2017?
In a letter to Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the Congressional Budget Office confirmed that the House's nearly $1.5 trillion tax bill would indeed trigger these cuts, highlighted by a $25 billion annual reduction in Medicare spending, or 4 percent, the highest allowed under the law.
What is the GOP tax cut?
It's become a staple of Democratic attacks on the Republican tax bills in the last week: A vote for the GOP's $1.5 trillion tax cut is a vote to cut Medicare by $25 billion a year.
What would happen if the GOP tax plan was a disaster?
Democratic members have regularly raised the issue in speeches, interviews and on social media. Not only would the GOP tax plan blow a hole in the deficit, but as a result, it would trigger major cuts to programs that many Americans depend on, including a $25 billion cut to Medicare. This plan is a disaster for the middle class.
Will Republicans waive the Paygo cuts?
A senior House GOP aide flatly predicted that would never happen. If Republicans do decide to waive the PAYGO cuts, it would put Democrats in the tough position of having to oppose the measure themselves in order for the cuts to go into effect.
Who is the House Democrat who criticizes the GOP budget?
Opposition from House Democrats has been swift and pointed. Top Budget Committee Democrat, Representative John Yarmuth of Kentucky, was quick to criticize the GOP plan: “The 2019 Republican budget scraps any sense of responsibility to the American people and any obligation to be honest. Its repeal of the Affordable Care Act and extreme cuts to health care, retirement security, anti-poverty programs, education, infrastructure, and other critical investments are real and will inflict serious harm on American families.”
How much does the US government spend?
The U.S. government spends more than it takes in, creating a deficit. Cutting this deficit has been a top priority for Republican lawmakers ever since Republicans took control of the House, Senate, and White House, but their attempts to do so have been unsuccessful. Current government spending is $4.407 trillion while its revenue is $3.422 trillion, leaving the U.S. with a growing deficit of $985 billion.
Did the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act give tax cuts to the wealthy?
There’s no way around it: the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 gave massive tax cuts to the wealthy. Although Republicans have been vocal about their intention to decrease government spending and reduce the deficit, these claims ring hollow as their bill will add $1.9 trillion over the next decade.
What is the GOP budget for 2019?
House Republicans offered a budget proposal on Tuesday that would cut mandatory spending by $5.4 trillion over a decade, including $537 billion in cuts to Medicare and $1.5 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and other health programs. On Medicare, the budget would move ...
How much will the federal government spend in 2028?
Non-defense discretionary spending, which covers most of the federal government’s activities, would drop from the $597 billion to $555 billion by 2028. Meanwhile, defense spending would climb from $647 billion this year to $736 billion in 2028. Democrats lambasted the plan for unrealistic assumptions, including the repeal ...
Did the Senate have to adopt a budget to repeal Obamacare?
But that is a long way off at this point. The Senate would have to adopt a budget as well to unlock the process, and GOP leaders have indicated they have moved on from ObamaCare repeal for now. The budget also proposes $2.6 trillion in reductions to other mandatory spending programs, including welfare and other anti-poverty programs.
Will Obamacare be repealed without Democratic votes?
The budget also sets up a fast-track process known as reconciliation that could allow ObamaCare repeal to pass without Democratic votes in the Senate . But that is a long way off at this point.
Is the Affordable Care Act repeal real?
Its repeal of the Affordable Care Act and extreme cuts to health care, retirement security, anti-poverty programs, education, infrastructure, and other critical investments are real and will inflict serious harm on American families,” said Rep. John Yarmuth. (D-Ky.), the ranking member on the House Budget committee.
