Social Security Workers Endorse Sanders, He Calls Republican Cuts ‘Crazy’ and Clinton ‘Vague’

[eridani]

https://berniesanders.com/press-release/social-security-workers-endorse-sanders-he-calls-republican-cuts-crazy-and-clinton-vague/

“Republicans think we should either privatize Social Security or make massive cuts. Can you imagine somebody talking about cutting Social Security?” he asked during the news conference. He branded Republican proposals to cut benefits “crazy,” “unconscionable” and “wrong” and concluded, “We will not let that happen.”

Asked about Clinton’s stand on Social Security, Sanders contrasted her “vague” comments to his specific legislation to increase benefits and lift the cap on income subject to the payroll tax. “That is not Secretary Clinton’s position. Frankly, I have no idea what her position is. She talks in vague terms,” Sanders said.

Sanders has challenged Clinton to support his legislation, which is patterned after a proposal advanced in 2008 by then U.S. Sen. Barack Obama when Clinton challenged him for the Democratic Party presidential nomination.

Sanders’ bill would ensure that Social Security would be able to pay every benefit owed to every eligible American for the next 58 years. His plan would increase benefits by more than $1,300 a year for seniors with less than $16,000 in annual income. He also would boost yearly cost-of-living adjustments by making the consumer price index better reflect seniors’ rising costs for health care and prescription medicine.

To shore up the retirement program’s trust fund, he would lift the cap on taxable income so everyone who makes more than $250,000 a year would pay the same percentage of their income into Social Security as middle-class working families.

[Enthusiast]

1. Kicked and recommended to the Max!

[Donkees]

2. Press Conference:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1280136616

[peacebird]

3. Excellent!

[dana_b]

4. K&R thank you!

I'm so glad that he got that specific endorsement. I live on SSDI and Bernie is the only candidate that I trust on it.

[Helen Borg]

5. Clinton will cut social security, in my opinion.

It's what Obama was trying to do to appease the Republicans anyway. And that is the best interpretation.

[NCjack]

8. And, put the trust fund into the hands of Wall Street to be gambled away. /nt

[eridani]

9. She'll try, at least according to the Pete Petersen dogwhistle of the first debate

You know--we have to lift up lower income retirees. Translation = we will cut Social Security and then add part or all of the money back for the lowest quintile.

We fought it off in 2010, and we can probably do it again, being forwarned this time. That's the problem with a Clinton presidency--instead of fighting to move forward, we'll have to keep fighting rearguard actions. The only advantage Clinton has here is that any Republican would be ten times worse.

[Divernan]

6. This is a SUPER endorsement!

[yourpaljoey]

7. Bernie Rising!