Donna Edwards

Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD)

There are now multiple press reports that President Obama will agree to a fiscal deal that enacts a so-called “Chained CPI” to calculate Social Security and veterans’ benefits. Under this plan, “a person age 75 in the future will get a yearly benefit that’s $653 lower after ten years of chained CPI than that person would get under the current formula. An 85-year-old will have $1,139 less to live on.” This represents a huge cut to benefits.

Progressive Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD) objects to this move, and pointed out on Twitter that it represents a cut in benefits for seniors, disabled people, children, and veterans:

Edwards has been leading on this issue, and has been circulating a letter to President Obama calling on him to reject the chained CPI.

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Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.) can breathe a sigh of relief: a potentially formidable primary challenger, attorney Glenn Ivey, has decided to exit the race. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, an outside liberal group backing Edwards, celebrated Ivey's decision.

"This is great news," said PCCC co-founder Adam Green. "Donna Edwards is a bold progressive leader and a true fighter for working families. We were proud to endorse her early and were ready to make this race a top priority. We look forward to working with Donna to ensure many progressive victories in 2012."