Progressive Caucus supports restructuring, not benefit cuts

[ProSense]

Elise Foley

Progressives Won't Criticize Obama For Proposed Social Security Cuts

WASHINGTON -- Progressive Democrats called on Thursday for the president to keep Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid out of a final debt limit deal, but defended him for putting a restructuring of those programs on the table, so long as doing so did not impact beneficiaries.

Ahead of a meeting with House and Senate leadership, in which President Barack Obama is expected to voice willingness to change entitlement programs, a dozen members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus wrote a letter to the president asking him to refuse cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. The president is set to discuss a deal to raise the debt ceiling in exchange for deficit reduction, which could include major cuts to programs that help the elderly and the poor.

"We feel the discussions have been skewed up to this point," said Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), co-chair of the caucus, who also said he would not support a final deal if it involves entitlement cuts and does not include revenue-raisers. "It's incumbent upon the president to put what I believe are the real priorities on the table for deficit reduction."

But Grijalva and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), a vice chair of the caucus, defended the president for signaling he would be willing to take a look at changes to the programs, arguing there are ways to restructure entitlement spending to save money without hurting beneficiaries.

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[polichick]

1. Keith Ellison was on MSNBC this morning talking about how the WH...

...has adopted Republican framing of the discussion and how that has to change if we want to protect SS, M & M.

[ProSense]

2. Ellison

said what many Democrats, including the President has said: Social Security is not related to the debt.

Rep. Ellison Questions Putting Social Security Into Debt Ceiling Deal: It Isn’t Adding To Deficit, It ‘Loans Us Money’.

[polichick]

3. He also said the prez needs to stop letting Republicans frame this issue...

The progressive caucus plan - by far the best regarding both the deficit and the people - hasn't even been considered by this "Democratic" president.

[dkf]

4. If the outflows are scheduled to outpace inflows what kind of restructuring doesn't affect beneficia

Is their only position that payroll taxes must be raised?

[flpoljunkie]

5. From the link in the OP...

Grijalva said Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid could be "strengthened" by creating an individual Social Security payroll cap, requiring higher contributions for employers or the purchase of prescription drugs in bulk.

"There's restructuring issues ... that could be looked at, absolutely," he said. "But the bottom line is that cuts and reductions to beneficiaries, if that's part of the package, then I cannot support it."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/07/progressive-dems-social-security-cuts_n_892210.html

[dkf]

7. Higher payroll contributions for employers aren't conducive to adding jobs.

Crazy.

[OHdem10]

6. Thkis is talking out of both sides of the mouth at the same time.

UP until NOW Restructuring was code for cuts. They
better make themselves absolutely clear.

You know, now all of a sudden we say "revenues" rather
than tax increases.

Does "restructuring" mean privatizing later on down the
road for the younger citizens". This is what restructuring
means for Republicans.

They sure as heck had better explain themselves.