House Republicans have introduced legislation to guarantee Social Security and Medicare benefit payments will continue even if the U.S. debt limit is reached, and to state that Social Security should be preserved for generations to come.
Both bills were introduced on Feb. 8 and come amid a dispute with President Joe Biden over his characterization of Republicans as favoring cuts to the popular benefit programs.
Both Republican bills were introduced on Feb. 8, a day after Biden’s State of the Union address, during which he accused Republicans of wanting to sunset both programs after five years and of holding the nation’s economy hostage until their demands were met.
The president was referring to a plan authored by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) that was quickly dismissed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and to a Republican Study Committee report released last year that suggested alterations to Social Security and Medicare.
Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) are negotiating over an increase in the nation’s debt ceiling.
The Speaker has repeatedly stated that Republicans will not end Social Security or Medicare benefits but seek a “responsible” debt increase accompanied by spending cuts.
The current debt ceiling of $31.4 trillion was approached in January but forestalled until June through “extraordinary measures” taken by the U.S. Treasury. The debt ceiling is the statutory limit on the national debt imposed by Congress.
If the debt ceiling is reached, the government will no longer be able to borrow money to meet current financial obligations.
Under the Republican bill, sponsored by Rep. John James (R-Mich.), the Secretary of the Treasury would be authorized to make Medicare and Social Security payments despite the debt limit being reached.
That would ensure that the United States would not default on those benefits so long as it could continue borrowing. It would also prevent either party from using the programs as bargaining chips in debates about increasing the debt ceiling.
A second bill, introduced by Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) and cosponsored by 10 Republicans, calls for a resolution declaring “Social Security should be preserved and protected for current beneficiaries, and for future generations to come.”
House resolutions do not have the force of law but express the sentiment of the body on a particular matter.
On Feb. 9, the White House issued a list of statements by Republican leaders intending to make changes to Social Security or eliminate it outright, though some dated to 2015 and 2010.
Democrats have been saying that about Republicans probably since the SS Act was passed for FDR back in the Thirties. It comes up in neary every House, Senate and Presidential race yet at no time has a Republican introduced such a sweeping measure. The Democrats have made some interesting commercials about it except they weren’t true, and the President’s remarks on Tuesday deserved what they got. Social Security was a ponzi scheme that was doomed to failure created by those who would be dead by the time its true effects would be realized.
One way to ensure it remains, STOP GIVING IT OUT TO ILLEGAL INVADERS!!!!
Social security should only be for citizens. When they get green cards ,then they can get a Social security number. Ok. Then let’s do it like a Learners permit give them a pre number. Any money taken from their paycheck go to the general fund to help SS. When and if they become citizens then they can Access the money.If they never become citizens then we keep the money
Exactly. AND just because one is a citizen DOES NOT MEAN One should be eligible for SS. IF YOU did not work (IE you spent all your life on welfare), you shouldn’t be eligible to get SS!!!
WE also need to wittle down the list of BULL reasons that folks can get SS disability (Anxeity, being fat, I forget a # of the other things they added to the list a while back).
Great news! Now how about you Capitol Hill geniuses come up with more sensible funding of the two. The current cutoff of $147K is truly unrealistic. If someone makes that much in one month, they are off the hook SS contributions for the rest of the year. How on earth is that fair, especially since folks making that much will wind up drawing from SS?
We need a bill that says, before we give any taxpayer money away to any other country, we must fund our countries programs first. And while we are at it, no bill should give taxpayer money to any special interest group until all programs that support all citizens are funded. Special interest groups should fund their own group’s needs. IMO
CEASE PAYING ONE Red cent, to ANY foreign nation even Disaster relief, TILL WE HAVE eliminated our entire debt.
Sounds good to me. I would also add get us the Hell OUT of the UN and balance the budget. What happened to American first?
RockyMtn1776: “What happened to American first?”
How do you change— change the U.S. from a capitalist system’,
Into a Socialistic Democrat Party government controlled system. ??
1. Healthcare — Control healthcare and you control the people.
2. Welfare — Take control of every aspect of their lives (Food, Housing, and Income).
3. Education — Take control of what people read and listen to — take control of what children and young people learn in schools and colleges.
4. Religion — Remove the belief in the God from the Government and schools.
5. Class Warfare — Divide the people into the wealthy and the poor. This will cause more discontent and it will be easier to take from the wealthy and give to poor. Until there are only the poor.
6. Debt — Increase the debt to an unsustainable level.
7. Gun Control — Remove the ability for the people to defend themselves from the Government. (“Socialist Democrat Party State”)
8. Poverty — Increase the poverty level as high as possible. Poor people are easier to control and will keep socialists in power if they are providing everything for them to live. Encourage, protect and support multi-millions of illegal immigrants who are poor, uneducated and disease ridden.
9. Allow illegal immigrants to vote and hold government positions.
Do these look like the tactics of the Democrat Party??
This traitorous, dishonorable, dishonest, immoral, socialist Democrat Party has become our country’s most destructive and deadliest ENEMY!
Now watch the dems oppose this. Debt ceiling should have no effect on social security payments. SS is supposed to be paid from a separate trust fund having nothing to do with the budget or congressional spending. The “supposed” part is where the problem comes in. The government has raided this fund so often that it can no longer stand on its own. In fact the government has to borrow to make repayment to this fund so obligations can be met. Typical government program initially set up properly, but bastardized by our elected representatives
So desperate he points out old business that has lomg become dead/moot much like his sotu from what I hear cause I had more important things to do then like take a nap.