Bernie Sanders puts Social Security challenge to Hillary Clinton

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Augusta Free Press

Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday urged Hillary Clinton to back a plan endorsed by leading Democrats and seniors’ advocates to strengthen Social Security.

Sanders has introduced legislation to make the wealthiest Americans who make more than $250,000 a year pay the same share of their income into the retirement system as everyone else. Current law now caps the amount of income subject to payroll taxes at $118,500.

Sanders’ plan is patterned after a proposal to scrap the cap first brought forward by President Barack Obama in 2008. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada in the last session of Congress was a cosponsor of Sanders’ legislation to scrap the cap on the payroll tax.

“I hope Hillary Clinton joins us because I believe that we’ve got to stand with seniors,” Sanders said. “We need not only to extend social security benefits, we need to expand them,” he added.

FULL story at link.

Read more: http://augustafreepress.com/bernie-sanders-puts-social-security-challenge-to-hillary-clinton/

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[Dretownblues]

1. Haha

I'm loving the way Bernie is handling the attacks. He is running one hell of a campaign

[floriduck]

2. Great move on Bernie's part.

It's past time to put her on the line to get with the program. Her plebes are scurrying around to figure out a less damaging response.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

4. Hillary makes about a quarter million to speak to a bank for an hour....

She's already said she considers $118,500 a year to be "middle class".

[wolfie001]

8. Actually, her idea of middle class is $250,000 a year

And shockingly, some DUer's here have sided with her. Horse riding lessons, nannies and vacations to the Bahamas every year puts quite the strain on their wallets and pocketbooks. Boo hoo.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

9. I knew one of those 5k a month spoiled trust fund girls who whined to daddy about going to Paris....

Probably could have afforded it herself if it wasn't going up her nose.

[CharlotteVale]

5. Love it!

[Cassiopeia]

6. There he goes again, wanting to raise taxes on the beleaguered poor.

[bluestateguy]

7. I think Hillary should endorse that

on one condition:

that if she does, there is to be no more criticism from Sanders or his surrogates on Hillary and the Social Security issue.

[Hoppy]

10. The difference is, Bernie would work to make it happen. Hillary would stop at jawboning the issue.

[humbled_opinion]

11. Watch out for the sneaky play....

Hillary camp starts whisper campaign that they are putting Sanders on their ticket

[question everything]

12. Just wondering

I've once debated someone on a conservative blog, raised the same issue and this person responded that there is a cap on benefits. Thus, the wealthy do not pay as much to the system but also do not take as much - compared to middle class workers.

Any truth to this?

[JDPriestly]

14. There is a cap on benefits, but that does not mean that there should be a cap

on payroll taxes that support the benefits. It might be possible to lower the percentage of the tax, or the rate of the tax if the entire incomes of top earners were included and that cap were raised. I have not done the math. I'm just guessing.

[cascadiance]

15. That was my proposal to LOWER the percentage of the tax...

... to the point that if we removed the cap altogether, those making $250k would pay no difference in tax, and those above would have it increased to that of what the new flat tax would tax them, and those making less than $250k would get a progressive tax cut to the point of the current cap. That way, we not only get it funded, but we can get an economic stimulus with progressively less taxation on those to the point of the current cap. That would also be a form of correction to account for the many years where those above the cap and above $250k weren't paying their fair share.

[JDPriestly]

16. Good ideas.

[SoapBox]

13. Come on Hill...we're waiting!

She's so big on copying Bernie's positions...lets see what she has to say about this.

Go Bernie!