Mitch McConnell: We must cut Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security to reduce the deficit

[skews13]

This isn't new. It's a pattern. It's the basis of the Republican Party’s economic history. As I wrote more than seven years ago:

Ronald Reagan used the deficit as an issue when he ran against President Carter. As president, Reagan ran up the largest deficit in U.S. history. The Republicans of his era talked a lot about a Balanced Budget Amendment, while consistently voting to run up the largest deficit in U.S. history. Reagan's successor, the heir to the Bush dynasty, outdid his mentor by running up an even larger deficit. President Clinton raised taxes, eliminated the deficit and created a surplus, and just coincidentally oversaw an enormous economic expansion and near full employment. The next heir to the Bush dynasty cut taxes, eviscerated the Clinton surplus, and outdid both his father and Reagan by breaking their records for creating the largest deficits in U.S. history. He also all but broke the economy. This isn't complicated. This isn't difficult to explain.

Republicans never did actually care about deficits. They cut taxes, explode deficits, then use those deficits as a rationale to cut government spending. It's not complicated. It never has been complicated. It has, in fact, been transparent all along. And it's transparent now.

Republicans want to take away your Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid

 

[Issa]

I never thought this would happen. I voted for Trump in the primaries, and for him again in the general election. I love his presidency and his accomplishments, but all of a sudden now the bottom is starting to fall out of the Republican party.

Mitch McConnell is saying that we now need to cut Social Security and Medicare. Whaaat ? Is this man crazy ? He's not alone. He's got Paul Ryan on board with him. Hopefully, if these nutjobs go through with this in the Congress, Trump will shut it all down with a presidential veto.

The Newsweek article I saw on this said that Democrats are ready to pounce on Republicans who put this forward, They're not the only ones. A lot of us Republicans will pounce on them too, as I'm doing right now.

1. If you want to kill the Republican party, this is the sure way of doing it. Older people vote in droves, and will simply not tolerate cuts in our already too small incomes. This would be the greatest gift Republicans could ever give to Democrats.

2. Older people have worked their butts off for 50 or 60 years, paying into this. Not right to cut it back from them.

3. If you want to cut entitlements, how about getting rid of millions of illegal foreigner leeches, who are sucking up waay too much of the federal budget ? Jail politicians passing sanctuary city laws. Abolish birthright citizenship for kids of foreigners.

4. Cut govt waste, but Social Security and Medicare are not waste.

Even if your epiphany is true - they gave us plenty of warning that this was their plan. Why are you surprised? Rich people don't depend on Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid.

Why should we listen to you when your Utopia of California chases the people out and replace them with immigrants......A place where everything costs more.........and the State Income tax is the highest in the country..........property taxes in the upper high category..................

Income tax revenue is increasing...........more are working........and less are on food stamps.

Supply and demand...we have the jobs that's why lot of Americans flee flyover states and move to the best state in the union.

 

[danielpalos]

Medicare was always a stupid program.

Soicaly Security was always a terrible idea but since all these people paid money into the sytem they need to get their money back. I will forego my benefits if my children and grandchildren are not burdened ith the Ponzi schme.

Medicaid is absolutely wrong. Everybody should be responsible for their own medical care. All welfare is morally wrong and fiscally irresponsible.

If we want to have money to pay off Obama's ten trillion in debt then there are plenty of wasted government expenditures. Lets start by cutting all welfare and all these worthless government agencies.

Compensation for Capitalism's natural rate of unemployment is more cost effective in our market economy. Simplifying Government is another way to lower our tax burden.

 

[Crepitus]

Mitch McConnell.

How about not allowing Social Security to people that haven't paid into it?

We already have that. Do you think we have people collecting that didn't contribute? Can you show some evidence or link?

Mitch McConnell.

How about not allowing Social Security to people that haven't paid into it?

We already have that. Do you think we have people collecting that didn't contribute? Can you show some evidence or link?

Where does the money for refugees come from? Free medical, food, Housing, education, etc.

Goal post move.

Oh, c'mon. Gather up some courage and honesty, and tell us.

Don't be stupider than you have to be. It ain't social security and it ain't medicare or medicade. They dont get free food or housing any more than prisoners do, same for medical care.

 

[Flash]

Medicare was always a stupid program.

Soicaly Security was always a terrible idea but since all these people paid money into the sytem they need to get their money back. I will forego my benefits if my children and grandchildren are not burdened ith the Ponzi schme.

Medicaid is absolutely wrong. Everybody should be responsible for their own medical care. All welfare is morally wrong and fiscally irresponsible.

If we want to have money to pay off Obama's ten trillion in debt then there are plenty of wasted government expenditures. Lets start by cutting all welfare and all these worthless government agencies.

Compensation for Capitalism's natural rate of unemployment is more cost effective in our market economy. Simplifying Government is another way to lower our tax burden.

The best way to lower our tax burden is to stop spending so much money. It ain't rocket science.

Capitalism provides jobs and wealth. Socialism steals that wealth and curtails economic growth.

If anybody doesn't believe me I could give them several example of the failures of socialism. It is not my responsibility to pay their bills. It is their responsibility. They are real greedy assholes if they advocate using the government to steal on their behalf what they are unable to provide for themselves

 

[The Irish Ram]

SS was a plan to insure a retirement savings for American workers. It was NOT money that the government gifted to the elderly.
They removed money from every worker's checks and stored it in a fund for them. Then they stole every dime. They are having a hard time paying it back.
They are taking money out of our checks now, telling us they are storing it for our retirement. They are stealing every dime, to cover the first theft.
If they stop the practice of paying back the people they have/are stealing from, when do they intend to stop taking money out of our checks?
Halt that practice first, otherwise they will keep right on helping themselves to our retirement and telling us they are putting it in a fund for us for later......

 

[skews13]

Medicare was always a stupid program.

Soicaly Security was always a terrible idea but since all these people paid money into the sytem they need to get their money back. I will forego my benefits if my children and grandchildren are not burdened ith the Ponzi schme.

Medicaid is absolutely wrong. Everybody should be responsible for their own medical care. All welfare is morally wrong and fiscally irresponsible.

If we want to have money to pay off Obama's ten trillion in debt then there are plenty of wasted government expenditures. Lets start by cutting all welfare and all these worthless government agencies.

Compensation for Capitalism's natural rate of unemployment is more cost effective in our market economy. Simplifying Government is another way to lower our tax burden.

The best way to lower our tax burden is to stop spending so much money. It ain't rocket science.

Capitalism provides jobs and wealth. Socialism steals that wealth and curtails economic growth.

If anybody doesn't believe me I could give them several example of the failures of socialism. It is not my responsibility to pay their bills. It is their responsibility. They are real greedy assholes if they advocate using the government to steal on their behalf what they are unable to provide for themselves

Lowering who's tax burden? Lower and middleclass workers have been paying lower taxes since 2010. They're not carrying a tax "burden".

And it's not the spending either. It's the "borrowing'.

So why are we borrowing money?

Because of tax cuts on the wealthiest and corporations, that reduces revenues that would pay the bills, that forces Congress to borrow money they didn't need in the first place, and now have to pay interest on the borrowed money on top of that. Throw in immoral amounts of money on military spending, and there's the trifecta.

It's simple math. Reinstate the taxes the wealthiest and corporations were paying, freeze or reduce military spending, stop borrowing money we don't need to borrow, and the debt and deficit problem go away. This has already been done, and proven beyond all doubt with Bill Clinton in the 90's.

This isn't debatable.

 

[sealybobo]

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell blamed spending on these services for the growing budget deficit and wants to rein them in:

"It's very disturbing, and it's driven by the three big entitlement programs that are very popular: Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid. That's 70 percent of what we spend every year," he said on Bloomberg News Tuesday when asked about the national debt. "There's been a bipartisan reluctance to tackle entitlement changes because of the popularity of those programs. Hopefully at some point here we'll get serious about this. We haven't been

McConnell eyes cuts to Medicare, Social Security to address deficit

I told you moderate republicans and you said we were just fear monger in.

And we all know if trump moved to end social security they’d support him.

I don’t care what you do to people who have yet to pay into it but everyone who has gets what they were promised. Pretend a new war broke out like another Iraq. Fund it with the same money you would fund that war. Then don’t get into a war

 

[Flash]

Medicare was always a stupid program.

Soicaly Security was always a terrible idea but since all these people paid money into the sytem they need to get their money back. I will forego my benefits if my children and grandchildren are not burdened ith the Ponzi schme.

Medicaid is absolutely wrong. Everybody should be responsible for their own medical care. All welfare is morally wrong and fiscally irresponsible.

If we want to have money to pay off Obama's ten trillion in debt then there are plenty of wasted government expenditures. Lets start by cutting all welfare and all these worthless government agencies.

Compensation for Capitalism's natural rate of unemployment is more cost effective in our market economy. Simplifying Government is another way to lower our tax burden.

The best way to lower our tax burden is to stop spending so much money. It ain't rocket science.

Capitalism provides jobs and wealth. Socialism steals that wealth and curtails economic growth.

If anybody doesn't believe me I could give them several example of the failures of socialism. It is not my responsibility to pay their bills. It is their responsibility. They are real greedy assholes if they advocate using the government to steal on their behalf what they are unable to provide for themselves

Lowering who's tax burden? Lower and middleclass workers have been paying lower taxes since 2010. They're not carrying a tax "burden".

And it's not the spending either. It's the "borrowing'.

So why are we borrowing money?

Because of tax cuts on the wealthiest and corporations, that reduces revenues that would pay the bills, that forces Congress to borrow money they didn't need in the first place, and now have to pay interest on the borrowed money on top of that. Throw in immoral amounts of money on military spending, and there's the trifecta.

It's simple math. Reinstate the taxes the wealthiest and corporations were paying, freeze or reduce military spending, stop borrowing money we don't need to borrow, and the debt and deficit problem go away. This has already been done, and proven beyond all doubt with Bill Clinton in the 90's.

This isn't debatable.

I have a much better idea than punishing the most successful people by talking their money away and use it to pay other people's bills.

How about stop spending $4.5 trillion fucking dollars every year?

We raise about $3.5 trillion and we borrow another trillion.

How about stop the bloated inefficient government and cut back to a Federal budget of about $1.5 trillion a year? We can have a damn good Federal government for that amount of money.

We can then stop borrowing money and we can return the money to the people that earned it and the economy would boom.

Of course all the Illegals and welfare queens would be crying like little school girls but who gives a shit bout them? I know I don't.

 

[BS Filter]

How about not allowing Social Security to people that haven't paid into it?

We already have that. Do you think we have people collecting that didn't contribute? Can you show some evidence or link?

How about not allowing Social Security to people that haven't paid into it?

We already have that. Do you think we have people collecting that didn't contribute? Can you show some evidence or link?

Where does the money for refugees come from? Free medical, food, Housing, education, etc.

Goal post move.

Oh, c'mon. Gather up some courage and honesty, and tell us.

Don't be stupider than you have to be. It ain't social security and it ain't medicare or medicade. They dont get free food or housing any more than prisoners do, same for medical care.

Bullhorn. Now you're lying. Refugees get treated better than many veterans.

 

[MarathonMike]

All of the entitlement programs began as a response the to the terrible depression under FDR. Like all well intended government programs they initially worked well and eased suffering. Then as time went by they grew into something much more than they were originally intended and now they are rife with waste fraud and abuse. As many have posted already, you don't have to cut but you must reduce the waste fraud and abuse. Also reduce all departments by 10% and take a hard look at fat government pensions, maybe make cuts there too.

 

[Rambunctious]

Mitch McConnell: We must cut Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security to reduce the deficit


One word;
Bullshit

 

[Rambunctious]

We are way too close to an important midterm election to believe anything coming from the left and the media....twisted words out of context...don't buy anything they say...

 

[Camp]

If Nevada Sen. Dean Heller is re-elected he could be the deciding vote to reduce or even kill Medicare and other benefits that help senior citizens and veterans. Heller is in favor of more tax cuts for rhe wealthiest Americans and paying for them by taking away important benefits to veterans and seniors. He may very well be the deciding vote.

Just like McConnell.

I posted a thread specifically about Heller. Somehow it got merged into a thread about McConnell.

 

[Rambunctious]

I posted a thread specifically about Heller. Somehow it got merged into a thread about McConnell

 

[kyzr]

OK, enough with the food fight.

The answer is to balance the Budget, which in 2019 has a $900b hole that adds to the Debt. A "politically acceptable" compromise seems to be cutting spending by $500b (medicaid + welfare + defense) and raise taxes by $500b (a 7% across the board increase above 2016 rates). That still leaves the $21T Debt and the $383b annual interest payments on the Debt. If we can sell assets to pay of the Debt, terrific. But we can't keep going on and on borrowing a $trillion a year.

Congratulations! You devised a plan for Democrats to kill the US economy and force us into a major economic depression. Great job, dumbass!

Ok so you are not a math major, you sound like an old establishment GOPPER always whining about his tax bill. The US economy is fine as long as we have fair trade deals and manage China properly. Unless we stop borrowing and adding to the $21T DEBT there will be no US economy, dumbass-hole.

I taught math for 21 years. You obviously know nothing about economics or you would not make stupid assertions like that!

OK, I apologize for that math major comment, however please explain to me that if the interest on the Debt is currently $383b a year and rising, because we're borrowing $900b a year and rising. I posted my answer to solving the Budget Deficit, half tax increases and half spending cuts, What is your solution?

2019 Federal Budget
Mandatory spending $2.74T
Social Security $1,050b
Medicare $625b
Medicaid $412b
Welfare $462b
Interest on the Debt $363b

Discretionary $1.3T
Defense $893b

My solution is raising all tax rates 7% above 2016 levels raising $500b, and cutting welfare ($200b), medicaid($150b), and defense ($150b).

 

[kyzr]

This isn't new. It's a pattern. It's the basis of the Republican Party’s economic history. As I wrote more than seven years ago:

Ronald Reagan used the deficit as an issue when he ran against President Carter. As president, Reagan ran up the largest deficit in U.S. history. The Republicans of his era talked a lot about a Balanced Budget Amendment, while consistently voting to run up the largest deficit in U.S. history. Reagan's successor, the heir to the Bush dynasty, outdid his mentor by running up an even larger deficit. President Clinton raised taxes, eliminated the deficit and created a surplus, and just coincidentally oversaw an enormous economic expansion and near full employment. The next heir to the Bush dynasty cut taxes, eviscerated the Clinton surplus, and outdid both his father and Reagan by breaking their records for creating the largest deficits in U.S. history. He also all but broke the economy. This isn't complicated. This isn't difficult to explain.

Republicans never did actually care about deficits. They cut taxes, explode deficits, then use those deficits as a rationale to cut government spending. It's not complicated. It never has been complicated. It has, in fact, been transparent all along. And it's transparent now.

Republicans want to take away your Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid

Fantastic post, except it was Newt that Balanced the Budget. The GOP would be wise to heed the lessons of the past or they will be on the outside wondering how socialism happened??

 

[kyzr]

Medicare was always a stupid program.

Soicaly Security was always a terrible idea but since all these people paid money into the sytem they need to get their money back. I will forego my benefits if my children and grandchildren are not burdened ith the Ponzi schme.

Medicaid is absolutely wrong. Everybody should be responsible for their own medical care. All welfare is morally wrong and fiscally irresponsible.

If we want to have money to pay off Obama's ten trillion in debt then there are plenty of wasted government expenditures. Lets start by cutting all welfare and all these worthless government agencies.

Compensation for Capitalism's natural rate of unemployment is more cost effective in our market economy. Simplifying Government is another way to lower our tax burden.

The best way to lower our tax burden is to stop spending so much money. It ain't rocket science.

Capitalism provides jobs and wealth. Socialism steals that wealth and curtails economic growth.

If anybody doesn't believe me I could give them several example of the failures of socialism. It is not my responsibility to pay their bills. It is their responsibility. They are real greedy assholes if they advocate using the government to steal on their behalf what they are unable to provide for themselves

This is the Federal Budget, where do you cut $1T? Realize that it might have to pass a Dem House, a GOP Senate, and Trump

2019 Federal Budget
Mandatory spending $2.74T
Social Security $1,050b
Medicare $625b
Medicaid $412b
Welfare $462b
Interest on the Debt $363b

Discretionary $1.3T
Defense $893b
Dept of Defense $686b
HHS $70b
Education $59.9b
VA $83.1b
Homeland Security $52.7b
Energy Dept $29.2b
NNSA $15.1b
HUD $29.2b
State Dept $40.3b
NASA $19b
All Other Agencies $133.1b

 

[WorldWatcher]

2019 Federal Budget
Mandatory spending $2.74T
Social Security $1,050b
Medicare $625b
Medicaid $412b
Welfare $462b
Interest on the Debt $363b

Discretionary $1.3T
Defense $893b
Dept of Defense $686b
HHS $70b
Education $59.9b
VA $83.1b
Homeland Security $52.7b
Energy Dept $29.2b
NNSA $15.1b
HUD $29.2b
State Dept $40.3b
NASA $19b
All Other Agencies $133.1b

You numbers are a little confusing.

You don't have a "Total" on the name line for "2019 Federal Budget". You list "Manadory spending at 2.74T, nowever when I add them up I get 2.912T so is the total 5.653T?

On the Discretionary line you have 1.3T as a total. But list Defense as 893B and Dept of Defense 686B. What is "Defense" and "Dept of Defense"? If I add the numbers under discretionary I get 1.9832T.


.>>>>

 

[Flash]

Medicare was always a stupid program.

Soicaly Security was always a terrible idea but since all these people paid money into the sytem they need to get their money back. I will forego my benefits if my children and grandchildren are not burdened ith the Ponzi schme.

Medicaid is absolutely wrong. Everybody should be responsible for their own medical care. All welfare is morally wrong and fiscally irresponsible.

If we want to have money to pay off Obama's ten trillion in debt then there are plenty of wasted government expenditures. Lets start by cutting all welfare and all these worthless government agencies.

Compensation for Capitalism's natural rate of unemployment is more cost effective in our market economy. Simplifying Government is another way to lower our tax burden.

The best way to lower our tax burden is to stop spending so much money. It ain't rocket science.

Capitalism provides jobs and wealth. Socialism steals that wealth and curtails economic growth.

If anybody doesn't believe me I could give them several example of the failures of socialism. It is not my responsibility to pay their bills. It is their responsibility. They are real greedy assholes if they advocate using the government to steal on their behalf what they are unable to provide for themselves

This is the Federal Budget, where do you cut $1T? Realize that it might have to pass a Dem House, a GOP Senate, and Trump

2019 Federal Budget
Mandatory spending $2.74T
Social Security $1,050b
Medicare $625b
Medicaid $412b
Welfare $462b
Interest on the Debt $363b

Discretionary $1.3T
Defense $893b
Dept of Defense $686b
HHS $70b
Education $59.9b
VA $83.1b
Homeland Security $52.7b
Energy Dept $29.2b
NNSA $15.1b
HUD $29.2b
State Dept $40.3b
NASA $19b
All Other Agencies $133.1b

I can see ten things on that list that we don't need. Many of the remaining ones could be cut back significantly.

In 2011 Ron Paul came up with a proposal to cut a cool trillion out of the Federal budget without effecting necessary defense, Social Security, or Medicare. That was without even trying.

Ron Paul's 'Plan to Restore America'


October 17, 2011 4:08PM
Ron Paul’s ‘Plan to Restore America’

The following are some of the plan’s highlights:

• Paul would immediately eliminate five cabinet-level departments: Commerce, Education, Energy, HUD, and Interior.

• Paul says his plan would cut spending by $1 trillion in the first year alone, and balance the budget in three years without increasing taxes.

• Funding for the wars would end. That’s not isolationism – it’s a common sense position that also reflects popular opinion. In addition, foreign aid spending would be zeroed out.

• Intelligent government reforms are proposed, including privatizing the Federal Aviation Administration and repealing costly Davis-Bacon rules.

• On entitlements, younger people would be given the freedom to opt out of Social Security and Medicare. Spending would be frozen for Medicaid and other welfare programs and they would be converted to block-grant programs.