Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA)
Republicans are already threatening to refuse to raise the debt ceiling unless their demands are met. On MSNBC this morning, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) said that Republicans should be willing to shut down the government if Democrats don’t agree to a “restructuring the entitlement programs” — code for cuts to benefits:
TOOMEY: We Republicans need to be willing to tolerate a temporary, partial government shutdown, which is what that could mean. And get off the road to Greece because that’s a road that we’re on right now. We can only solve this problem by getting spending under control and restructuring the entitlement programs. This president doesn’t want to go there. We’re going to have to force it, and we’re going to have to force it over the debt ceiling.
Watch it:
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Toomey has been an advocate of raising the retirement age to cut benefits for seniors.
Click here to pledge to hold any Democrat who agrees to a deal that cuts Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits accountable.
RHytonen says:
A FIFTY MILLION SENIOR MARCH needs to be forming already to SURROUND the WhiteHouse AND Capitol Bldg. BOTH are at fauilt in throwing seniors under the bus, with EVERY bill.
Cliff Fiscal says:
When our legislators find the courage to stand up to Big Oil, Big Banks, Big Pharma, The Pentagon, Wall Street, The One Percent and all their lobbyist friends perhaps we’ll find enough $$$ to fix the deficit. We won’t have to kick the poor and the elderly in the gut!
Shelly Della selva says:
Please do everything possible to stop all cuts to social security, Medicare,or Medicaid. If they raise the cap on social security..then this would be o much better than touching our monthly payments and stop the chained CPI!
Zaid Jilani says:
We have and we will!
smarterboy09 says:
My name is Pat Toomey. I have a small penis, and a shrinking majority in congress, but I can still hurt you. I care nothing about facts, the will of the people, the democratic process, or acting like a grown up in the face of lost elections and rejected mandates because I can STILL hurt you!
I am Pat Toomey. Hear me roar –
D says:
Go ahead and shut it down. Greece’s problem is spending. They don’t spend enough! They have cut and cut until the people have no money. People without money buy nothing. Then more jobs are cut and more people are broke. It is vicious circle. Cutting is not going to fix the problem. Jobs are the issue and the Republicans have no plan to do anything but make the Koch Brothers richer at everyone else’s expense.
Joe Biviano says:
The Republican party is walking down the road to self extinction.
Valerie Genise says:
They are not walking down the road fast enough.
KarenJ says:
Pat Toomey isn’t even a Republican — he’s a Tea Party domestic terrorist. He should be arrested for unconstitutionally breaking his oath to serve, and possibly even treason.
Robin says:
I don’t understand how it is an ‘entitlement program’ when we all pay into it every check, now 6%, because of the fiscal cliff negotiations. I think the Koch brothers need to stop influencing the government and should be considered terrorists.
Bev says:
Any Representative in the Senate or House who votes to cut the measly <$14,000 per year that retirees that I know of, get to live on each year should first cut their own pay and refuse the healthcare that they are guaranteed when they leave office and opt for Medicare and Social Security. Then and only then will they even begin to understand how hard it is to take being threatened with losing the income that so many seniors and diababled Americans depend on just to barely make ends meet.
We need to take them all out of office and start again, with people who truly want to serve rather than stay in the employ off the people and do nothing. It hasn't started in the last 4 years, this has been going on for many years. There needs to be term limits in every elected office. They should be alowed to only serve 2 terms and then find employment out here with the rest of the country. Most of them are millionaires and it has been at the expense of the "little people".
Gary Embert says:
Mr. Toomey, you should be ashamed to make such a statement. Did you not get a message from the election? Your threats do nothing but insult the American people. I bet some of those have seniors on medicare, and know some people who need to retire. I have a idea, lets talk about all in politics giving up their retirement and health benefits and start getting them the same way us poor folks do, scrap by and save.
John B. Egan says:
Sen Toomey is just another typical GOP shill. Our Medicare/Medicaid bill is approximately $960 Billion each year. And our medical costs per capita are greater than 2 times any other developed nation, yet people like this jackass want to let seniors die in the streets rather than fix the underlying problem. Our forefathers would have tar and feathered the f*cker!
Denise Epstein says:
How the hell did we put these people in office!!! And how do we get them out???
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Heather says:
So we are back to a partial shutdown again of the government and cutting “Entitlement” programs. Let’s see, the last time the Government shut down, I didn’t get my child support, medical coverage came to a stand still and I still had to pay taxes to a government that wasn’t operating. Hmmm… Let’s see the government get rid of it’s “Entitlement” program first. Like, stopping the “For Life” salary payments after you are done serving in office. Go find a job people! After all, there are so many out there, aren’t there? How about ending the “For Life” medical and Social Security coverage that these wealthy people have. Give them our Medical coverage. After they are out of office, make them work for their money! Make them SPEND all their money before they qualify for Social Security like the rest of us have to! If and when I leave my job, or get fired, they don’t give me a “For Life” payment! I would get a kick in the can and maybe unemployment until it either runs out or I get a job!
Jill Banta says:
I don’t think that cutting Medicare for the people who really need it and continue to fund every country out there….. I don’t think we are any longer the go to country…. We can’t take care of the people we have….. WE need more jobs, and a good medical everyone can afford….. I would be willing to pay more for more medical…. I think everyone in the united states is intitled to the same medical as the or government…… employee’s which our taxes pay for!!!!
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john boy says:
Spend spend spend. All you people are idiots. Let the poor starve. See how fast they go get jobs. They dont want to work. They are lazy. Everyone wants the corner office with a nice view . It doesnt happen for everyone. You have to start somewhere..even if it is stocking shelves or cleaning dishes. Get a job. Not every baby turtle makes it to the ocean. I work to pay bills for other people. Ridiculous
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