Liberals: We'll vote down fiscal panel if it hits Social Security

[cal04]

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/121857-liberals-well-vote-down-fiscal-commission-if-it-touches-social-security

Congressional liberals threatened to vote down whatever results from President Obama's fiscal commission if it contains a plan to change Social Security.

Liberal members of the House and Senate Democratic caucuses said they would look to defeat the fiscal commission's final proposal if it calls for cutting Social Security benefits, raising the retirement age, or privatizing any part of the entitlement program.

"Do not send Congress a plan that cuts Social Security benefits, raise the retirement age, or privatizes Social Security," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) warned Thursday on a conference call. "If you do, we'll vote it down."

The bipartisan commission Obama created by executive order is set to make its proposal to address the nation's looming debt crisis at the end of the year. House and Senate leaders have pledged to allow a vote on the entirety of the recommendations, which would come during a lame-duck session of Congress.

[phleshdef]

1. I'm not concerned about the deficit commission, never have been, because of this.

I just don't think any significant changes to social security that would impact recipients in a negative way will be able to get through Congress.

[Ikonoklast]

4. Every rep voting to kill S.S. would have been committing political suicide.

No matter the party loyalty, D or R.


The vast majority of Americans want Social Security to be strengthened, not killed.


Only the idiot Teabagger Minority Fringe Koch Brother Party want it killed, in spite of the fact that it would be detrimental to themselves.

[Andy823]

8. Agreed!

Republicans and tea party loons can say all kinds of things about getting rid of SS and medicare, it isn't going to happen! It's just like all the other BS the right is saying they will do when they get elected, it's just BS in order to get the votes from the nuts on the far, far out right!

[n2doc]

5. They are pledged to an "up or down vote"

All they need are enough Republicans to go along and it will pass. It will even be "bipartisan" - I am sure the Washington Elite will be pleased with that.

[Ikonoklast]

9. It will not have the force of law behind it.

It will be a "Sense Of The Congress" vote, not a vote on any proposed legislation.

When was the last time a law got passed by Congress in this manner? Never.


No outside 'commission', or 'panel', or anything of that kind has any legal right to put legislation before Congress in this way.

It has to be sponsored, committee'd, read, etc. The recommendations are just that, recommendations.



The whole 'commission' thing is nothing but political cover.


"See? I voted to curtail spending!".

Meaningless.

[Individualist]

2. Bravo Bernie!

:applause:

[meow mix]

3. quit whining professional left, how dare they not buck up and support the right wing agenda.

gj guys

[DirkGently]

6. The "Commission" is a farce. Good for the Professional Lefties calling it out.

[kenny blankenship]

7. Did the WH reply with "We love that you still fight back, Bernie, but we'll roll you-"

"just like we rolled all you Old Democrats over the Insurance Giveaway. It was easy. You old guys can wheeze about your 'lines drawn in the sand', but in the end you'll give in to anything. You'll fold eventually because you made the first mistake: agreeing to negotiate at all. We are young and corporate financed- we got all the time and money in the world and can drag talks out forever. You can't put yourself in the position of being initially open to "reform" then haggling over it, and finally saying No. That makes you look like a crotchety old man out of touch with reality. We know that and will just keep talking to wear you down. And you're going to get worn down again, Bernie. Because you're old and tired; but not so old and tired enough to just say FUCK NO! A MILLION TIMES NO! to the commission to begin with. You try to be reasonable, and we'll take advantage of that, like your age. We'll trap you with your own essential decency. We're the rising generation: New Democrats, Republicans in Disguise."

Or did they maintain a smugly amused silence?

[Mimosa]

16. Whoa, Kenny...did you stash the tape in a safe deposit box, just in case? n/t

[glitch]

25. "We'll trap you with your own essential decency." Ouch. nt

[defendandprotect]

10. Undo the FREEZE on Social Security COLA's ....!!

[cal04]

11. Twelve Senators, 104 House members vow to vote against Social Security cuts

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/9/30/906648/-Twelve-Senators,-104-House-members-vow-to-vote-against-Social-Security-cuts

On a press call this morning, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), John Conyers (D-Mich.), and Dan Maffei (D-N.Y.) announced their united opposition to any Social Security cuts the deficit commission might recommend.

Senator Sanders, along with eleven colleagues, introduced a resolution (pdf) in the Senate "Expressing the sense of the Senate in opposition to privatizing Social Security, raising the retirement age, or other similar cuts to benefits under title II of the Social Security Act." The resolution concludes: http://socialsecurity-works.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/senate_social_security_resolution.pdf

Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate to reaffirm our commitment to the Social Security program, one of the greatest legislative accomplishments in the history of our Nation, without privatizing Social Security, raising the Normal Retirement Age, or other similar cuts to benefits under title II of the Social Security Act.

Sanders' cosponsors are Akaka, Boxer, Sherrod Brown, Feinold, Gillibrand, Harkin, Inouye, Lautenberg, Mikulski, Stabenow, and Whitehouse. From the press release issued by Sanders' office:

The measure filed yesterday with 11 Senate cosponsors would put the White House commission on notice that raising the retirement age, privatizing the program, or cutting benefits would meet stiff opposition on Capitol Hill. The resolution called the worker-supported Social Security system, which has run surpluses for a quarter century, “America’s most successful and reliable retirement program.”

“Let’s be clear,” Sanders and others said in a letter to Senate colleagues. Social Security is not in crisis.” The Social Security Trust Fund has a $2.6 trillion surplus that is projected to grow to more than $4 trillion by the year 2023, the senators noted. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, Social Security will be able to pay full benefits to every recipient until the year 2039. Even then at least 75 percent of promised benefits would be available if no steps are taken to strengthen Social Security. “It will not be bankrupt,” the senators said.

In the House, 104 members have signed a letter (pdf) urging President Obama to reject any proposals to cut Social Security benefits.
http://socialsecurity-works.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/GrijalvaSSDearColleague9-2-10.pdf

"If any of the commission's recommendations cut or diminish Social Security in any way, we will stand firmly against them," warned Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Dan Maffei (D-N.Y.), John Conyers (D-Mich.) and others.

[bluethruandthru]

17. Sanders is saying what our president should be saying. n/t

[Wounded Bear]

12. Good...let's hope they stand by it...

Also, since SS is self funded, "fixing" it won't really do anything for the deficits/debt.

You'd think they would want to increase it to fund more of their borrowing.

[kelly1mm]

13. Really? Many of the same who PROMISED no vote for health care

reform without a public option. Not putting any eggs in that basket.

[girl gone mad]

18. My thought, too.

sigh.

[democracy1st]

22. SS ia a totally different animal!

[kelly1mm]

26. Last time they PROMISED to block something then caved. That was

about health care that effects almost every American. I guess that was not really important enough to do what they PROMISED to do. Why should this be any different if they get pressure from above?

[boston bean]

14. why does this have to be threatened when we have a democratic president??? nt

[RainDog]

15. thank you!

social security is not a problem in this nation. the right wing needs to stop lying and claiming that it is.

[TBF]

19. The right wing are sleezebags who will turn on a dime

if Obama suggests any cuts to Social Security. They will be all over the press scaring seniors with their "Obama wants to take away your social security checks" ads. Of course they would do the same thing themselves, but I wouldn't bet against them using it politically to hurt him.

[Robeson]

20. Americans should be rioting in the streets, if they f*%k us over on Social Security....

...let alone whether our "Democratic" reps have our backs on this.

[Admiral Loinpresser]

21. If there is a looming fiscal crisis,

why can't we put the escalation in Afghanistan on the table, or Iraqi deployments or Korean or German deployments on the table? How about porky unnecessary weapon systems? How about corporate welfare? How about abolishing Homeland Security?

Why are they sticking it to Gramma again? WTF?!?!?

[sabrina 1]

23. Good for Sanders. Their proposals, whatever they are,

should have been released before the election and Congress should have voted on them so people could see who is going to betray the people. I guess that is why they are waiting until later.

I hope there are enough votes to vote down anything coming from that Commission.

[MadHound]

24. Thanks Bernie, but sadly, if it comes to cuts in SS,

You and the other few remaining liberals in Congress will get rolled by a bipartisan grouping of Dems and 'Pugs. After all, the 'Pugs have taken a blood oath to destroy SS, and the Dems are far too beholden to the financial industry these days, their long time top money men.