Republican proposals to cut taxes for the wealthy and undermine Social Security and Medicare have come back like a bad dream with the GOP takeover of the House and the debt ceiling standoff. We spoke to our senior legislative representative, Maria Freese, about what these proposals would really do --- and who they benefit. Hint: the answer is NOT working people and retirees.
Today’s breaching of the debt ceiling by the U.S. government is making seniors’ advocates nervous. The federal government is now on track to default on its financial obligations (including the ability to make Social Security and Medicare payments) as early as June --- unless Congress raises the debt ceiling, which it has done 78 times since 1960. As CNN's Jake Tapper put it, "Republicans are vowing to cut future spending before agreeing to pay bills that are already due."
Kevin McCarthy’s battle for the House speakership may have made for compelling political theater this week, but it has potentially dire implications for America’s seniors. According to news reports, McCarthy (R-CA) has made concessions to holdout House members that would empower right-wingers in Congress who want to slash Social Security and Medicare --- in order to fulfill his personal ambition to become Speaker.
Congressional negotiators have struck a compromise on spending for Fiscal Year 2023, avoiding a government shutdown this Friday. The House and Senate are expected to pass a short-term extension by the end of this week, giving negotiators more time to finish a final funding package for the rest of the fiscal year. We spoke with NCPSSM legislative director Dan Adcock about the compromise deal.
While it’s true that a runoff win by Senator Raphael Warnock would give the Democrats a 51-50 majority, there is more at stake for Georgia voters – especially seniors. They need Senator Warnock to remain in the Senate to fight for their vital Social Security and Medicare benefits – and to continue advocating for lower prescription drug prices.
Fiscal conservatives continue to promote the narrative that Social Security and Medicare must be “reformed” to reduce the federal debt, which basically means cutting seniors' earned benefits. The latest foray in this propaganda campaign came in the form of an ‘analysis’ piece from Bloomberg’s Karl W. Smith, published last week in the Washington Post.
As the country awaits full election results, The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare congratulates the many seniors’ champions who prevailed in key races across the nation. Several candidates who the National Committee enthusiastically endorsed have emerged victorious in crucial House and the Senate contests.
As the midterm campaign draws to a close with the future of Social Security and Medicare possibly at stake, NCPSSM has been completing its final round of candidate endorsement events around the country. Today in Charlotte, North Carolina, NCPSSM legislative director and PAC coordinator Dan Adcock formally endorsed Democrat Cheri Beasley for U.S. Senate in one of the pivotal swing state races of this election cycle.
It is no exaggeration to say that the nation's two most important programs for seniors—Social Security and Medicare—are on the line in this November's elections. This is not a matter of nuance; it's truly existential. Whichever party controls Congress will influence whether Social Security and Medicare will continue as we know them—or be weakened and privatized.