Progressives (CPC) Won't Criticize Obama For Proposed Social Security Cuts

[pampango]

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

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.

Grijalva said Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid could be "strengthened" by raising taxes on the wealthy, requiring higher contributions for employers or buying 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."

Jackson Lee said the heat should remain on Republicans who want to take down Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid -- not on the president, because they are still unsure of what changes he will propose. "We should not let them define the agenda," she told HuffPost. "The president has done something heroic to convene everybody. ... We don't want to get into a mish-mash with the president of the United States when he is clearly on the side of the most vulnerable."

[damntexdem]

1. Well, give him a chance to back away from the third rail before he's shocked.

But don't get shocked yourself in the process.

[SidDithers]

2. K&R...nt

Sid

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

3. "Proposed SS cuts"??? Where is this so-called "proposal?" I haven't seen it anywhere!

SJL is right! Go after the Republicans!!!

[Bluerthanblue]

7. +1

going after the Republicans is OUR job too- far more productive than destroying ourselves from within.

[Better Believe It]

10. Here's how Social Security benefits can be cut without calling it a cut!

The Administration does not call a new method to calculate cost-of-living increases and/or an increase in the early and full retirement age to be a "slash" in current benefits. The White House official didn't comment on proposed Medicare cuts.

That's true and also very misleading.

These two proposals will in fact mean smaller cost of living Social Security increases in the future and a substantial decrease in total benefits received due to later retirement eligibility.

How clever and deceptive their wording is!

BBI

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WASHINGTON -- Prominent Social Security advocates expressed deep concern Friday at news that lawmakers may change the way the government measures inflation for taxes and federal benefit programs, weighing such a move as part of a last-minute deal to raise the nation's statutory debt limit while simultaneously cutting the federal budget.

Lawmakers and the Obama administration are reportedly considering switching to a "chained" Consumer Price Index. According to the advocacy group Strengthen Social Security, the chained-CPI could lead to annual Social Security benefit cuts of $560 for those aged 75, $984 for those aged 85 and $1,392 for those aged 95.

"The proposal to shift to the chained-CPI is actually a stealth attack on Social Security," said Joan Entmacher, director of family economic security at the National Women's Law Center, during a Friday conference call with reporters. Her comments were echoed by Strengthen Social Security Campaign co-chair Nancy Altman. She said, "The chained-CPI is poor policy, and given that seniors vote in disproportionately high numbers, it is equally poor politics."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/07/social-security-cuts-debt_n_892070.html

[iwishiwas]

12. A Dem Pres can play with words and hurt folks just like Repugs can.

[somone]

4. And they call themselves progressives?

[Ikonoklast]

8. Annnnnd under the bus they go!

[Alameda]

5. WTF!!!! We have to act!

How dare they touch Social Security?

[ProfessionalLeftist]

6. "revenue raisers"

That term disturbs me. Too easily finagled by the Tealiban. We've already seen one who said he'd support "revenue raisers" as long as they were "revenue neutral" :wtf:

I know the CBC are rarely considered or listened to. I clearly remember when they were the ONLY ones who stood up and objected to King George being appointed. No one else did. So I admire them, and trust them a bit more than others on the Hill. But I doubt Obama or anyone else will give them any consideration. Especially of course, not the Tealiban.

It IS true that Rx drugs could be bought in bulk & prices negotiated, (Tealiban will never go for that), and waste and fraud can be reduced, and the $106K cap could be raised or removed.

And by "not hurting beneficiaries" - does that mean PRESENT or future ones? Because many changes decrease benefits over time and do amount to CUTS in benefits. Hmmm.....well...

[bemildred]

9. I think it's all a head-fake anyway, the old razzle-dazzle. nt

[iwishiwas]

11. They say they do not know what the Pres is proposing! Why NOT?? why

aren't the progressives communicating with Obama?