Republicans Archives

What Does the End of the Shutdown Mean for Older Americans?

As the longest government shutdown in U.S. history finally ends, many of our readers are asking: what does this deal mean for older adults? We supported Democratic efforts to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies. Without Congressional action to extend these subsidies, millions of “near seniors”— aged 54 to 65— are poised to face dramatically higher health insurance premiums in 2026.

Lucas Kaplan2025-11-13T14:54:37-04:00November 13th, 2025|Categories: affordable care act, Congress, Democrats, GOP, Medicare, Older Americans, Republicans|

Trump & GOP Intransigence Will Hike Health Care Premiums

Open enrollment season for Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans arrives amid a severe threat from Trump and congressional Republicans —- who continue to block the extension of crucial ACA premium subsidies. These subsidies have helped middle and lower-income Americans afford health coverage since they were enacted during the Covid pandemic. This is what the government shutdown — now in its fifth week — is all about. Democrats insist that the subsidies be extended; Trump and the GOP have refused, despite the economic pain and health insecurity their actions will inflict on everyday Americans – including millions of MAGA voters. The president and his party won’t even negotiate with Democrats to end the shutdown.

Lucas Kaplan2025-11-06T15:05:23-04:00November 6th, 2025|Categories: affordable care act, Aging Issues, Congress, President Biden, President Trump, Republicans|

Hopes that Senate Would Mitigate Medicaid & SNAP Cuts Have Been Dashed

Many who analyzed the reconciliation bill narrowly approved by the House of Representatives in a 215-214 vote on May 22nd hoped that the U.S. Senate would temper unaffordable tax cuts for the wealthy — and avoid slashing Medicaid and SNAP. Those hopes have been dashed by Senate Republicans on the Finance and Agriculture Committees, who propose to end Medicaid and SNAP as we know them – as lifelines for millions of Americans across the country who need reliable access to basic health care and food to survive.

NCPSSM2025-06-20T13:07:40-04:00June 20th, 2025|Categories: Medicaid, President Trump, Republicans, Senate|

The Devastating Consequences of GOP Medicaid Cuts

House Republicans have taken another major step toward gutting the Medicaid program to pay for tax cuts largely benefitting their wealthy donors. On May 14, the GOP-controlled House Committee on Energy and Commerce approved budget legislation that slashes Medicaid funding by a jaw-dropping $717 billion over the next decade. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the Republican budget could strip health coverage from at least 13.7 million people. “Republicans are cutting them adrift, with no place else to turn for medical care except perhaps the emergency room,” says NCPSSM President Max Richtman, who labeled it “the most massive cut in Medicaid’s 60-year history.”

NCPSSM2025-05-16T23:24:03-04:00May 16th, 2025|Categories: Budget, Medicaid, Republicans|

Seven Falsehoods in Senator Mike Lee’s Social Security Post

Earlier this week, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) posted an extensive – and patently ridiculous – diatribe against Social Security on X (formerly Twitter). The thread is full of falsehoods and misleading assertions about America’s most popular social insurance program. Senator Lee incorporates many tired myths that the political right propagates to undermine a successful government program they can’t stand – simply because it is a successful government program.

Walter Gottlieb2024-12-04T17:07:23-04:00December 4th, 2024|Categories: Republicans, Senate, Social Security|

Harris Likely to Sustain Biden’s Social Security, Medicare, Rx Drug Policies

As we have noted many times, the President has fought especially hard for American seniors --- by lowering prescription drug prices, strengthening Medicare, and advocating improvements to Social Security --- which is why he earned our endorsement in June. His heir apparent, Vice President Harris, has been in lockstep with President Biden on these crucial issues.

Walter Gottlieb2024-07-22T15:31:36-04:00July 22nd, 2024|Categories: Inflation Reduction Act, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Medicaid, Medicare, payroll taxes, Rep. John Larson, Republicans, Social Insurance, Social Security|

House Budget Cmte. Holds Hearing on Social Security Trustees Report

Ranking Committee Member Brendan Boyle (D-PA) Republicans and Democrats clearly had different takeaways from the recent Social Security Trustees

NCPSSM2024-06-18T12:36:44-04:00June 18th, 2024|Categories: Boost Social Security, Budget, Debt, Democrats, Politics, Republicans, Social Security, Social Security Trustees|

Dem/GOP Split on Social Security Apparent in Hill Hearing

The House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee held a hearing about the program's trustees' projection that the Social Security trust fund will become depleted in 2035, absent Congressional action. Even so, Social Security still could pay 83% of scheduled benefits at that time. No one wants Congressional inaction, but the hearing emphasized the difference in the two parties' approaches to the problem.

NCPSSM2024-06-11T14:19:17-04:00June 10th, 2024|Categories: Congress, Debt, Democrats, Rep. John Larson, Republicans, Social Security, Social Security Administration (SSA)|

House GOP Appropriators Announce 10% Cut in Labor/HHS Spending

House Republicans once again are showing where their true priorities lie. Appropriations committee chair Tom Cole (R-OK) announced the GOP’s topline numbers for fiscal year 2025 --- including at least a 10% cut in funding for Labor/HHS (Health & Human Services). That could mean agencies like the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would endure a huge spending cut, while Republican appropriators propose to boost military spending by 1%.

NCPSSM2024-05-17T12:16:18-04:00May 16th, 2024|Categories: Budget, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Congress, Democrats, Republicans, Social Security Administration (SSA)|

Republican Study Committee Budget Cuts Earned Benefits; Keeps Trump Tax Cuts

For solid clues as to what the Republicans would do to Americans’ earned benefits if they maintain power in the House and recapture the Senate and/or the White House, look no further than the House Republican Study Committee (RSC) 2025 budget blueprint. For the second year in a row, the RSC proposes cutting Social Security and Medicare. Rep. Brendan Boyle, Ranking member of the House Budget committee, estimates that these cuts amount to $1.5 trillion for Social Security and $1 trillion for Medicare.