Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forumWaPo Fact Checker Analysis : Sanders vs. Biden on Social Security: A guide to the claims
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/08/sanders-versus-biden-social-security-guide-claims/Joe Biden claims in a new ad that he has always protected Social Security. Thats patently false. He cant hide 40 years of working with Republicans to cut Social Security.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), in a Twitter thread, March 7, 2020
Now that the Democratic primary race has narrowed to Sanders and former vice president Joe Biden, Sanders has begun attacking Biden for supposedly wanting to cut Social Security. Biden cried foul in a new ad. In a Twitter thread, the Sanders campaign highlighted comments or votes by Biden dating back almost four decades.
Regular readers of The Fact Checker know we often warn about campaign attacks highlighting certain votes or comments that are so old they often lack context. Overall, Sanders offers a misleading portrayal. So heres a guide to these statements.
In 1983, Biden pushed to raise the Social Security retirement age.
Sanders cites a newspaper clip from Jan. 11, 1983, that says, Biden suggested a gradual increase in the retirement age would help improve the Social Security system. This was not a controversial position at the time. Two months after these comments, large bipartisan majorities in both the House and Senate agreed to the Social Security amendments of 1983, which included raising the retirement age to 67 and increasing payroll taxes to improve the solvency of the program.
The broad outlines of the plan was recommended by the National Commission on Social Security Reform and is believed to have strengthened the long-term health of Social Security. Sanders, in 1999, praised the 1983 law an example of bipartisan cooperation. We should remember that in 1982, Social Security was within a few months a few months of not being able to pay out all benefits owed to Americans, Sanders said. And then people came together and said of course we want to save Social Security. They worked together, and they did.
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much much more at the main link above
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
George II
(67,782 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Baitball Blogger
(46,572 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Celerity
(42,643 posts)Biden pitched it as the last best chance to keep deficits from undermining the economic recovery and dropping the country into another recession. He also said it would avoid having to make other significant changes in Medicare and significant changes in Social Security generally. The plan was rejected 33 to 65, though more Democrats than Republicans voted for it.
Whatever one may make of the proposal, it was not aimed at Social Security specifically but was part of an effort to reduce the budget deficit. The Washington Post reported the dramatic simplicity of the plan was its fatal flaw as conservatives rebelled at the deep cuts it would have made in Reagans military buildup, liberals balked at the constraints it would have put on major domestic benefit programs such as Social Security and many moderates shuddered at both results.
In 1995, I was on the House floor fighting the GOPs efforts to cut Social Security. Five days later, Joe Biden gave a speech in the Senate bragging about his work with the GOP to try to freeze funding for Social Security.
When I argued that we should freeze federal spending, I meant Social Security as well. I meant Medicare and Medicaid. I meant veterans benefits. I meant every single solitary thing in the government. And I not only tried it once, I tried it twice. I tried it a third time, and I tried it a fourth time. Again, Sanders frames this as an effort only about Social Security, but it was much broader aimed at every part of government, including defense.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Baitball Blogger
(46,572 posts)It all plays into the Republican's hands. The Republicans get to spend all they want, giving tax cuts to the rich and lavish military expenditures; and then, when a Democrat takes over it's all talk about fiscal responsibility. It's a game. Centrist/moderate Democrats use language like they're being responsible by cutting back on Democratic programs that help their base in order to balance the budget. When all they're really doing is providing something that the Republicans wanted all along. They have no incentive to change.
When we put a Democratic administration back in office they could surprise us all by cutting back on Republican boondoggles, like military expenditures and demanding higher taxes for the rich. Now THAT is proper balance.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Hermit-The-Prog
(33,021 posts)See the 2nd link in my 'sig', for example.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Celerity
(42,643 posts)levels will be met with howls or rage from multiple corners, cries of traitor, weakness, opening up 'Murica to attack, etc etc.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)Sanders is going from 'bad' to 'worse'.
He's become more and more desperate.
Someone needs to tell Bernie it's over.
Turn out the lights.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Julian English
(434 posts)Overall, Sanders offers a misleading portrayal.
No surprise there.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Gothmog
(143,999 posts)This is not a good issue for sanders when sanders is guilty of the exact same conduct in the real world
Link to tweet
Link to tweet
Link to tweet
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
comradebillyboy
(10,119 posts)lashing out irrationally. It's pathetic. If Bernie can't win he will try to make sure no Democrat wins. Just like he did before.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden