It didn’t take long for the GOP to blindside the working class with a surprise attack on Social Security disability insurance. In fact, they used the very first day of the new Congress to do just that.
“The Huffington Post” reports that on Tuesday the House passed new legislation that contains a “little-noticed provision” that will prohibit Congress from reallocating funds that would avert a deficit in the Social Security disability insurance program in 2016.
Social Security’s disability trust fund is forecast to run dry by next year, experts say. This will mean that almost 11 million Americans will see a 20 percent reduction in benefits, but this issue is not brand new. Social Security proponents have repeatedly asked legislators to reallocate funds from the retirement program to cover the difference, a measure that has been taken by Congress 11 times in the past 60 years.
This new rule could still allow a shifting of funds from the retirement fund to bolster the disability fund, but requires that “an accompanying proposal improves the overall financial health of the combined Social Security Trust Funds.” The most likely way to meet this criteria would come from new revenues, e.g. taxes, or cuts to current benefits. The GOP’s m.o. is to side with benefit cuts, rather than impose new taxes on their wealthy constituents.
According to a tweet by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA):
The GOP is inventing a Social Security crisis that will threaten benefits for millions and put our most vulnerable at risk.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Social Security, Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas), likened the reallocating of funds to a “raid on retirement insurance,” and stated:
This is worse than kicking the can down the road — it will actually make the retirement program worse off, and it does nothing to fix the disability program.
To address this issue, my measure creates a point-of-order to prohibit any diversion of funds from the retirement program to the disability program, but more than that, the rule seeks to encourage much-needed reform.
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) completely disagreed with this statement, and reiterated that this practice has been standard in the past. He stated:
Reallocation has never been controversial, but detractors working to privatize Social Security will do anything to manufacture a crisis out of a routine administrative function. Rather than solve the short-term problems facing the Social Security Disability program as we have in the past, Republicans want to set the stage to cut benefits for seniors and disabled Americans.
H/T Huffington Post | Image: HD Picss
The big divide gets even bigger…
Maybe the shit sandwich the GOP is building will choke America enough to throw these morally bankrupt corporate shills out of office in 2016.
Not going to happen. Americans have long since lost touch with reality.
I agree; not only have they lost touch with reality, but we have anew wave of dumb-assed Americans who love to learn by their own mistakes. Sadly, the learning part usually comes way too late then they squirm and cry like little helpless creatures! They have got what they asked for!
Unfortunately they drag everyone else down onto the slime. I at this point in time could care less if they just wanted to wallow in heir own ignorance, it’s when they foist it on everyone else that I get peckish about it.
My Grandpaw used to tell me sonny be careful what u wish for because sometimes wishes do come true and the results ur might not like.
oh, and unions and socialist shills and Hollywood are never part of the problem, got it. Face it, the Libertarians were right and both parties represent the bankrupting of the US. Stop thinking “your” party is better. Are people better off after a few years of total democratic party control followed by some control, followed by less control for the next two? Nope. Guaranteed the rich get richer, the democrats get richer, the poor get fooled by the democrats. At least that has been status quo for 50 years now. Stop fooling yourself liberals.
So what’s your solution if their is one. Suck it up and be quiet? Burn the whole thing down and start over? Just saying they’re all corrupt and they all suck doesn’t bring us any nearer to a solution.
Never said that. My point to flaming progressives who think the answer is to never negotiate is a useless answer. They screamed, like the ad, the Republicans are ending the world as we know it and cutting bennies. I suppose there will eventually be a compromise, as there always is. But it does appear there is a messagethe solution will not be to merely increase public debt. Therefore, the difficult political answers may be required, such as increasing the limit on earnings, which everyone agrees is too low, coupled with some more stringint fraud reduction, but that is just two guesses. The extreme views of the author and many liberals is no more useful than the extreme end it all there all freeloaders views, either. As with all bills, a negotiated answer will emerge.
My personal favorite would be the complete elimination of outside money in political campaigns. Make it all public funded from a pool divided up somehow. Make voting day a national holiday over a weekend. Somehow get corporate money out of the process..
and where does the “public money” come from? Only two choices; raise taxes (I do not fathom paying for lunatic campaigns like in NYC) or cut services (like this whole thread). This whole corporate problem is all about the loathing of the “corporate” you do not like. The very hatred of big bad corporations is the same groups that have no problem with unions (corporations) and Hollywood (corporations) so it is all about nothing. Hate corporate money, then stop buying their products and run your anti-corporate candidates. Reminds me of Al Gore flying jets and caravans of big limos that make more pollution than a small factory talking about global warming blah blah blah.
These freeloaders are dragging down our economy while doing nothing to contribute to the progress of our civilization. We should cut the pay of these parasites of the Republican Senate and give the money to the deserving poor and disabled.
how proud are all the republican voters right about now? the sad part is that they all knew where this congress would take our country. you watch and see how this congress tries to destroy all the good the potus did. at the cost of the working stiff. every time these idiots get some control. they drag our economy down. you’ll see again. but you’ll still party vote. how stupid you people are.
Tell me oh great socialist….when YOUR hero Obama had the Democrats in charge of both houses, what did they do to help the situation? Nothing. They rely on uneducated lefties and freeloaders to carry their votes to majority and free rides.
They kept the Republicans from destroying Social Security.
wow…..they had full control and could do anything they wanted to the program, its funding, its future. Saved the world even. So, your thoughtful research led you to they stopped people who had no control from destroying it? Wow……guess they got another dumbass vote.
Dems, even at 60 votes, still had a few conservative traitors in their midst such as Nelson and Lieberman, who would never have gone along. Bernie Sanders and every left wing Democrat support raising the cap on Social Security taxes. Problem fixed. Game over.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT A FILIBUSTER IS BRIAN? IF YOU DON’T SIT BACK AND WATCH. THE DEMS STILL CONTROL ENOUGH TO USE IT. AND AFTER THE SHIT THE REPUBLICANS PULLED. I WOULD VETO AND FILIBUSTER EVERYTHING THEY SENT MY WAY. FOR JUST A SECOND THERE I THOUGHT YOU WERE AN INFORMED IDIOT. BUT I SEE NOW THAT YOU’RE A TRUE REPUBLICAN. ALL IDIOT. ENJOY THOSE GAS PRICES AND YOUR STOCKS BEING WORTH MORE. AND THE INTEREST RATES AND ALL THE PEOPLE WORKING. YEP BRIAN, WHEN YOUR HERO LEFT WE WERE SINKING. THE POTUS WITH NO COOPERATION FROM THE IDIOTS HAS THIS COUNTRY ABOVE WATER. I WORK FOR A LIVING. TRY IT SOMETIME.
WOW WE HAVE CAPS LOCK DIMWIT. Yes, your pals used it already. I guess you probably were too busy blathering as always. You probably had such a different view when your heros did this to the president when he was…..republican. Cannot care less what your retards do. That just assures the fixed income folks, your base, get screwed. Then they will blather how it was big bad republicans, and dumbasses like you believe it.
Are you aware that around 60% of the wealthy are registered Democrats? Probably not, because you seem to be “educated” by Fox News.
First you may b shocked to learn, never watched Fox News. And, in your view they may not have run roughshod, but in fact they did. Get something other than socialist reporting, look back. Your party and its president spent more in past 6 years than probably close to 20 years of its predecessors.
There’s this thing called “being well rounded.” You ought to try it some time. It’s pretty cool, being on the internet means that you can research an issue from every available perspective than, shocker, make up your own mind about an issue. Hard to believe, I know, but it’s true!
By the way, if you honestly believe the claim in your last sentence you should take your own advice and research the issue.
try including the deficit spending, which is future spending to pay for today’s spending plus internet Clivee….like car payments, they add up mr blind spender.
Well brian since you must have been asleep for that 3 months. The piece of shit republicans were threatening to defund and restructure social security. they were threatening to shut down the govt if he didn’t give them what they wanted. now i’m gonna assume you missed out on what that was. it was the tax cuts for the 1%. they blackmailed the executive branch for their rich buddies. but Obama did get one thing. the ACA. the republicans were just so sure the supreme court would shut it down based on the mandate. well they passed it. that’s when the kock brothers got pissed and started shoving their agenda in the office.and as of day one for this congress the potus will be protecting the foundation of his economic recovery. you know what its like when the repubs are in charge. the economy tanks every time. so you tell me oh great conservative how do you vote republican knowing they are the problem?
well socialist, where’d you get all that? Oh, the union paper. okay, got it. Guess we all missed the economic recovery the pos tried where the non-working grew over the past 6 years, huh? Oh, forgot, did you subtract the fake jobs created for unions by your partry through taxing the future to make projects? Subtract those and working Americans shrunk a half milliuon (not counting the illegals).
Well Brian maybe it’s been a while. But I had to ask you the question no republican or independent wants to answer. Obama has been called a socialist his whole presidency. So whichbid it Brian. Are all of you wrong about him or does socialism work? There are only 2 answers. One is yes and the is no. The economy is strong and getting stronger. So either he isn’t. Or it does.
Well Obama apologist, in 6 years Jimmy Carter could have improved the economy. The corporate world improved the economy despite the socialist activities of your great buffoon despite his efforts. Perhpas you ought to review the economic definitions of socialism and realize, yes, he is a socialist. Perhaps you ought to read his latest economic taxing proposals of “the rich” that will raise all the taxes for middle class, including such socialist wonders as limiting what you can put away in IRA and other retirement accounts to supplement the Social Security he has done nothing to stabilize in the 6 plus years he has run it, almost 6 of which he ran his congress, 2 of which were wile he ran both houses. Perhaps we should have used the money running Guantanamo? Remember, he was closing that in 6 months during Hope and Change speeches. Still open 6 years later. Or the war in Iraq. Over in 45 days. Then 90. Then 3 years. And where are we now? Iraq. He is your hero, otherwise known in D circles as Bush Light. Foreign relations? Best they been with Israel in 50 years. Iran? Another country laughing at his stupidity. He is such a fool he is now on TV offering he didn’t know until the press told him (his favorite line) that his secretary of stae used a non government email account in violation of law. He didn’t know? Despite the emails were from [email protected]? Seriously, did you wake up to this epiphany of no understanding of the economy or read a little in the manifesto?
I wish those old evil, vile, greedy m*effers had to live on the little we get from Social Security and Social Security Disability.
Every Senator and representative should be forced to pay Social Security just like every citizen is forced to! I’ll bet they would not mess with it if they are forced to pay for it!
They do pay into Social Security and have since 1984, not that that excuses them from their treachery.
Congress does pay into Social Security, and has since 1984. Not that that excuses them from their treachery.
I wish I could say this was a surprise to me, but the Rethuglicans had been planning to gut SS for at least 10 years. Sadly, they’ve now gotten their chance.
yesh, it really ran great when Obama and the Demorats had both houses. They fixed everything. Blind followers like you……lmao
Remove the cap on Social Security taxes and the system is solvent FOREVER. Elect enough people to Congress like Bernie Sanders and it will happen. Don’t and you’re a lying hypocrite if you say you want to fix it.
YOU ENJOY LOOKING STUPID. ARE YOU ALREADY A REPUB IN OFFICE?
YES< SOMEDAY I HOPE TO LOOK HALF AS SMART AS YOU. You are so compelling in your logic. haahahaha
DEMS ARE GETTING IT DONE NOW AND THE LAST 6 YEARS THOUGH. AIN’T THEY BRIAN. THE COUNTRY IS ON A comeback. and you’re to black blind to see it!
Really? Where did you get that? Democratic headquarters? For now, 58.7 per cent of American adults are working if the actual
employment-population ratio is taken into consideration, leaving about
82 million, or almost 41 per cent of people unemployed. Only 8 per cent,
however, are even interested in work, leaving 33 per cent of Americans
not only jobless — but with no desire for work.
Do you think all that drinking on stoops is guys getting ready for work?
If this is reduced I am toast. Living on 1k a month and this barely covers my bills and food, They are comfortable so they don’t think of us. Yes I had a LOT put away for retirement and it went when I had a stroke. So no matter how much you have, it will not be enough, SS is all some of us have.
They classify all us on disability as the same. We are “faking it”. They bankrupt us with medical costs, and then give the truly medically needy barely enough to survive on with disability, even if we contributed to the fund for over 25 years. They need to stop generalizing and learn the true reasons why people are on SSI and SSDI. Let the Congress have to go through what every disabled or medically impaired person has to go through just to survive in this country.
Maybe we ought to consider the possibility thay the bill is intended to stop the robbing of the retirement fund. The disability side of social security is full of fraid and abuse. The bill will force reform to the social security disabillity program which is now paying people that are able to work but choose to milk the system. When it runs out of funds, they will no longer be anle to just “take” it out of the social security retirement fund. Which we all pay into and want/expect to be able to draw from when our time to retire comes! I’d much rather they be forced into reforming the fraud laced disability system and have MY funds available to ME when I retire!
I hope that you are not lumping everyone on disability as freeloaders, because I have disability due to several illnesses (and diagnosed by 5 different doctors) and two of my friends have it and deservedly so. I also know one who appears fine (same as one of my illnesses, but lesser. One in four that I know need it but the one who does not, And that one is, I believe, falls into your category. And I agree with statements in article and on here that SS system is messed up and something needs to be done that does affect either one. I want to keep my disability and for retirement people who worked to deserve
No, Not Lumping. I know there are those that need it. And I know that there are some that don’t. I personally have two friends that are in the same category as you. They need and deserve it. BUT, I also KNOW 4 people that could work at any job that isn’t of the heavy lifting manual labor type. I also know someone who was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome in school. He functions perfectly well and only has issues when in a very crowded situation. It was “The System” that decided that he was eligible for disability and not him. They signed him up and got him disability. He knows he doesn’t need it and now jokes about winning the lottery of life. These are the cases that need review. And there are MANY, MANY of them!
It’s a pure lie that the disability system is laced with fraud. mediamatters.org/research/2013/04/25/myths-amp-facts-behind-the-campaign-to-attack-d/193767
The majority of fraud and abuse in disability is performed by corporate America. You know the ones. The medical supply and device contractors who charge 5 times the value of items because no one checks! (or is backhanded a fistful of cash)
READ THE BILL AND UNDERSTAND IT’s PURPOSE BEFORE POSTING!!
This is such hogwash. If anything, it appears they are forcing everyone to examine how to fix the “kick it down to the next guy” fixes done by both parties. For a couple years, the Democrats had control of BOTH HOUSES and the PRESIDENCY and could have fixed it. Did they? Of course not. All they know is scare the freeloaders, they will vote us back into office. They can care less.
There were never enough left liberals to fix it. Even for the brief time Dems had 60 votes in the Senate, there were a few conservative Dems like Nelson, Landrieu and Lieberman to block it. Elect the left and the problem is fixed.
They had two full years, plenty of time. Darn those conservative Democrats you feel let you down. You did elect the left and they did NOTHING did they? Get over your view that is not shared by many anymore since it has been in place for 50 years and failed over and over.
Can you read? Time had nothing to do with it. Conservative traitors like Nelson, Lieberman and Landrieu would have blocked it.
Yes, I can read fine. Can you? Those are your Democrats. Seems like the answer you see is always some nebulous Republican wizardry. They, Democrats and Republicans, represent something you despise. Voters. Too bad your myopic view is not the majority and this is a representative democracy. Get over it,. Read up. This is the US. You have not even read the amendment or bill, have yo? Nope, all those reading skills wasted as you blurt out fear. Typical liberal.
There’s no such thing as “my” Democrats. I support progressive policy and I don’t care WHAT party a politician is in if they do as well. Of course I read the provision. It’s not that long. Did you? Raise the cap on Social Security Taxes and the system is fixed. PERIOD. The VAST majority of Americans are 100% opposed to cutting Soc. Sec. benefits. You lose on this issue.
Wow….such reading. Tell everyone exactly where you read your big assertion and fear of (now you claim it is not the Republican at all, it is “them”) somebodies. If you read it, you saw no one said they were cutting anything did you? Perhaps your simplistic answer will be the one they choose. All that has been proposed is to pay for what you want, stop kicking the can and stealing from pretend money. Just like your house. Want a swimming pool? cut expenses or go make more money. Don’t borrow from next years rent money. What a anti-democrat party ideal.
The article, let alone the bill, which you haven’t read, denies the automatic adjustment done 11 times before, which forces disability insurance into the red in a year or so. Since Republicans refuse to go along with the simple fix of eliminating the cap on Social Security taxes, BOOM, benefits get cut. Are you following so far? Now, try to sell the American people who have worked all their life on the idea that their social security is a handout to freeloaders and see how far it gets you.
once again, your liberal closed mind just can’t assume anyone but yourself can read. Once again, you think you know what the possible solutions are that will eventually be settled upon. Once again, your limited understanding of the legislative process in the United States is so obvious the democrats will win the war of fear in your myopic world, and get your vote and money. You are right, the rest of us are wrong. It’s a wonder you didn’t do more to get liberals elected. Oh, those pesky voters got in the way again.
We’ll never give up and since the vast majority of Americans want zero cuts to social security, the Republicans keep failing in their effort to gut the system.
yes, those darn pesky voters in our democracy stifle your plans all the time.
On the contrary. We have defeated each and every Republican attempt to gut Social Security.
once again, making up stuff as a fear tactic. Let’s remember, you claim “they” are “gutting Social Security.” Once again, when asked to quote anywhere it says SS is going to be gutted, provide proof? nope, surmise things that do not exist to rise fear!!!! Typical liberals seeing monsters.
Just how much do YOU want TAKEN from YOUR paycheck to cover someone who is milking the system? OR are you one of them?
Progressive - fancy word for liberal policy of spend everyone’s money but your own.
It is precisely the Republicans who want to kick the can down the road because they refuse to eliminate the cap on Soc. Sec. taxes.
Once again, why do we even let those legislators vote? No need to, the mysterious “republicans” and your traitor “conservative democrats” always fail to do what you need done. Wonder why we even have a democratic form of government, just let you handle all of it.
Here’s why we bother to vote. Republicans have tried dozens of times to gut Social Security and we have defeated them each and every time. We’re batting a thousand on this one.
I doubt it. They didn’t block anything else.
ROTFLMAO!!! Never thought I would be siding with Sherrod Brown but he is right. This article is red herring shark bait tossed out to stir some populist sentiment over an issue that is pretty much automatic. Yes the funds need reform and they need it now.
What the hell is the surprise about this caper? They’ve been harping on it forever.
Psst, hate to break it to you so coarsely, but that’s all any of us are is “cannon fodder” and the day we wake up to that fact is when things will change.
If you did a four year hitch in the Navy, how is it that you qualify for a pension? Must not be a Navy pension, right?
Reap what you sow.
Watch, the GOP will blame Obama for this.
LOOK PEOPLE THE POTUS CAME INTO OFFICE NEGOTIATING AND COMPROMISING. HE LEARNED HIS LESSON DEALING WITH PIECES OF SHIT. THATS WHY THEY GET NOTHING FOR THE NEXT 2 YEARS!
Funny thing is, I have been a republican ever since I got out of college and had to work and see my pay stub. You’d be shocked to learn…..never once did we have any strategy meeting on cockblocking things. Funny, what did the Democrats do yesterday now they are no longer in charge? Filibustered the first bill that came up. That, dear ignorant one, is yor cockblocking.
Anyone in Congress that agrees with this needs to be handed a resignation to sign because that is what is coming Americans going to D.C. and demanding the resignations of these out of touch with the middle class and poor people Congress members
last 2? Last 32
Its funny, we can cut Social Security, but we can’t cut welfare, food stampes, or Medicaid. If your scared, say your scared. Our congress is a bunch of pu$$ys.
Don’t expect Congress to do anything, they don’t care, it doesn’t affect them. Besides, didn’t I read that the Koch brothers were going to spend I thought I read almost a billion dollars in the next election. Anything the Republicans do will have to get the approval of the Koch brothers.
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