Gray Panthers

Gray Panthers Outraged at President Obama's Proposal for Cuts in Budget Deal

July 8, 2011

Today, President Obama and lawmakers met on Capitol Hill to discuss budget deficit-reduction negotiations. Various news outlets are reporting that President Obama proposed cuts to Social Security benefits during these negotiations as a means to achieving a far-reaching debt-reduction plan that make major changes to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in exchange for Republican support for fresh tax revenue. Specifically, reports indicate that the President is considering Social Security COLA cuts by changing the formula used to calculate the annual COLA to the chained CPI. This technical change is just a sneaky way to cut the benefits people have earned – whether they receive Social Security now or in the future.

Gray Panthers are outraged by this proposal and are growling about it!

In the past, President Obama has supported that Social Security is not the cause of the federal deficit and therefore should not be a part of a deficit reduction deal. His willingness to now go back on his word to protect these crucial programs from dangerous cuts is a betrayal to the American people and he should NOT renege on that promise now.

Sen. Bernard Sanders (I- VT) urged the president not to yield to Republican demands to reduce the deficit by cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from Social Security, Medicare/ Medicaid and other domestic spending. He said that “the President has got to demand that at least 50 percent of deficit reduction come from revenues,” including higher taxes on the wealthy and large corporations. Gray Panthers agrees. Gray Panthers believes that during these budget negotiations, President Obama should:

Hold firm to prevent harmful cuts or caps to low-income programs in the negotiations to reduce the deficit;
Secure and strengthen Social Security by raising the cap on taxable income;
Insist on fair increases in revenues to prevent reckless cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, food stamps, and other essential services;
End the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy;
Cut wasteful military spending; and
End corporate loopholes so they pay their fair share.

Contact the White House and let them know that you are outraged by President Obama’s willingness to put Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid cuts on the table in budget negations. Americans rely on these safety net programs as a means of economic security and they should be strengthened, not cut!

White House comment line:
Toll Free: 1-888-245-0215
(TTY/TDD: 202-456-6213)

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