Two weeks ago, President Obama put major Social Security benefits cuts on the table by endorsing the “chained CPI.” This policy wouldAi??lower cost-of-living adjustments for seniors on Social Security.
Hundreds of thousands of Progressive Change Campaign Committee members took action to defend Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. In the past weeks, thousands of them called congressional offices demanding that these benefit cuts be taken off the table.
Now, it looks like we’ve succeeded. Today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) denounced the inclusion of any Social Security benefit cuts in a short term agreement and flatly ruled them out after Republicans demanded them:
Earlier Sunday, negotiations between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell suffered a ai???major setbackai??? after Republicans demanded the inclusion of a new method for calculating entitlement benefits as part of the cliff package, according to Democrats. […]
ai???The one thing I do want to mention is weai??i??re not going to have any Social Security cuts at this stage. That just doesnai??i??t seen appropriate,ai??? Reid said. ai???Weai??i??re willing to make difficult concessions as part of a balanced, comprehensive agreement, but will not agree to cut Social Security benefits as part of a smaller, short-term agreement, especially if that agreement gives more handouts to the rich.ai???
Today, in an email to PCCC members, we wrote, “Today’s victory shows that activism works. In 2013, we’ll keep fighting any proposed cuts to these benefits.”
We have a tiny staff, but we fight hard and think big. You can help continue our work in 2013 by making a $3 donation — or $3 monthly donation — here. Thanks so much!
Thank you, Harry Reid. Since the death of my father, my mother has lived solely on Social Security. She lives in a mobile home in Florida, and as soon as I get my bills paid in a couple of years I plan to retire and take my Social Security to live with her and help pay her bills. She gets so little I buy her groceries when I can.
Handouts to the rich???? How is letting them keep their own money a handout? A handout is when someone gets more than they put in……such as people on social security, medicare and medicaid. Harry Reid has no real interest in helping us get our debt taken care of. This is pathetic.
“At this stage”? “difficult concessions”? Harry, those are weasel words. We are not stupid. We have learned to parse political rhetoric.
Thank you Harry, my wife and I paid into Social Security our entire working lives. I put in nearly 50 years as did my wife who is now disabled. We both put money into 401k’s which lost money during the great recession when we both lost our jobs. The money was rolled over into “safe” mutual funds which proceeded to hemorrhage away our life savings. Social Security is it for us.
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