GOP Agenda: End Medicare AND Social Security

by: Combined Sources Friday 10 June 2011

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This note from labor-affiliated Alliance for Retired Americans:

It’s Back… Social Security Privatization Bill Introduced on Capitol Hill
A bad idea that just won’t go away, Social Security privatization is once again back in the public debate with the recent introduction of a bill in Congress to create private savings plans in lieu of Social Security.  The legislation, H.R. 2109, was introduced by Rep. Pete Sessions (TX), who also serves as head of the House Republican campaign committee.  The bill has been co-sponsored by Reps. Marsha Blackburn (TN), Dan Burton (IN), Randy Neugebauer (TX), Lamar Smith (TX), Lee Terry (NE) and Jeb Hensarling (TX), all Republicans.

“Current and future retirees can ill-afford to gamble away their life savings on the roulette wheel of the stock market.  Can you imagine if George W. Bush had gotten his way and Social Security had been privatized?  It would have been a disaster if we had turned Social Security over to Bernie Madoff, AIG, and Lehman Brothers.  Privatizing is a risk very few Americans can afford to take,” said Edward F. Coyle, the Alliance’s Executive Director.

Senators: Keep Medicare Out of Budget Talks
Five U.S. Senators sent a letter earlier this week to Vice President Joe Biden, urging him to take Medicare off the table in the bipartisan budget talks he is leading.  The negotiations are in advance of upcoming congressional action on raising the nation’s debt ceiling.  Congressional Republicans have been demanding cuts in Medicare, and earlier this year the U.S. House passed a budget proposal by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) which would end Medicare as know it, privatizing the program and dramatically raising costs for seniors.  The letter to Biden was signed by five Democrats:  Sens. Claire McCaskill (MO), Jon Tester (MT), Sherrod Brown (OH), Ben Cardin (MD), and Bill Nelson (FL).

Last Friday, the Rhode Island Alliance for Retired Americans presented U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse with their Social Security & Medicare Hero Award. Whitehouse, who was honored for his advocacy on behalf of Rhode Island seniors, received the award from RI Alliance at a ceremony in North Providence attended by over 100 seniors.  “The goal of the Rhode Island Alliance is to become a voice for all older Americans. Senator Whitehouse has consistently been that voice, not only for the Rhode Island Alliance members, but for seniors, women, children, minorities and people with disabilities across the nation. That’s why he is our Social Security & Medicare Hero,” said Rhode Island Alliance president John A. Pernorio.

With polls showing that voters are overwhelming opposed to Medicare cuts, Republicans have embarked on a new campaign to misinform and scare seniors.  A slew of ads, including one from the business-backed “60 Plus Association,” touts the Ryan plan as a way to save Medicare, despite the fact that under the Ryan plan Medicare is privatized and seniors are forced to pay more for less coverage. The new ad severely distorts the facts, and misleads seniors about how the Republican proposal adversely affects Medicare.  “With the Republican misinformation machine in full swing, seniors need to be more informed than ever before so they can separate fact from fiction” said Ed Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance.

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  • Fabulous article but How much can I earn while receiving Social Security retirement benefits?

    Posted by Medicare Hawaii, 07/31/2013 3:35am (11 years ago)

  • As these are most important issues we need to take maximum care!

    Posted by julie, 01/08/2013 5:23am (12 years ago)

  • Medicare service never end in America. This is the must need service of people.

    Posted by Medicare Rhode Island, 08/28/2012 2:35am (12 years ago)

  • As these backwards,anti-people, monopoly politicians expose themselves, peoples movements have to track them and respond with pointed efforts.
    The main reasons and remedies to the exaggerated problems with people helping and economy sustaining programs like these two,(Social Security and Medicare) are that they are too embroiled in the inherent problems of monopoly: its cyclical,cynical, permanent unemployment and underemployment, its shrinking tax base,while it eliminates virtually all taxes on monopoly and imperialist capital,its racism and sexism, its brutal destruction of small and medium firms, these are the problems.
    Congressman John Conyers Jr. boldly states that to save Medicare, for example, we would not shrink it and give it, too, to monopoly, but on the contrary, we would expand it, offering it to everyone with the U. S. government as single payer for everyone, negotiating with the monopoly pharmaceuticals, to get health costs down, this forcing many costs down.
    These programs helping to sustain our ailing economy, ailing because of the scourges of monopoly capital and imperialism is part of the strained thread which is saving our economy from falling into the abyss.
    Privatize them, rather than expand them, and we get more of what the health care monopoly price gougers offer: economic destruction, universal selfishness and a dysfunctional economy.
    Only an informed public of working people, voting, campaigning, recalling traitor and phony"leaders" and lobbying with leaders like John Conyers will save jobs, Medicare, and Social Security.

    Posted by E.E.W. Clay, 06/14/2011 4:36pm (14 years ago)

  • Thanks for running this. Retirees desperately need to organize, and the Alliance for Retired americans is an excellent way to do it. But the actual work is very difficult.
    --jim lane

    Posted by jim lane, 06/13/2011 4:51pm (14 years ago)

  • Marsha Blackburn Voted FOR:
    Omnibus Appropriations, Special Education, Global AIDS Initiative, Job Training, Unemployment Benefits, Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations, Agriculture Appropriations, FY2004 Foreign Operations Appropriations, U.S.-Singapore Trade, U.S.-Chile Trade, Supplemental Spending for Iraq & Afghanistan, Flood Insurance Reauthorization , Prescription Drug Benefit, Child Nutrition Programs, Surface Transportation, Job Training and Worker Services, Agriculture Appropriations, Foreign Aid, Debt Limit Increase, Fiscal 2005 Omnibus Appropriations, Vocational/Technical Training, Supplemental Appropriations, UN “Reforms.” Patriot Act Reauthorization, CAFTA, Katrina Hurricane-relief Appropriations, Head Start Funding, Line-item Rescission, Oman Trade Agreement, Military Tribunals, Electronic Surveillance, Head Start Funding, COPS Funding, Funding the REAL ID Act (National ID), Foreign Intelligence Surveillance, Thought Crimes “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act, Peru Free Trade Agreement, Economic Stimulus, Farm Bill (Veto Override), Warrantless Searches, Employee Verification Program, Body Imaging Screening, Patriot Act extension.

    Marsha Blackburn Voted AGAINST:
    Ban on UN Contributions, eliminate Millennium Challenge Account, WTO Withdrawal, UN Dues Decrease, Defunding the NAIS, Iran Military Operations defunding Iraq Troop Withdrawal, congress authorization of Iran Military Operations, Withdrawing U.S. Soldiers from Afghanistan.

    Marsha Blackburn is my Congressman.
    See her “blatantly unconstitutional” votes at :
    http://mickeywhite.blogspot.com/2009/09/tn-congressman-marsha-blackburn-votes.html
    Mickey

    Posted by mickey, 06/10/2011 7:08pm (14 years ago)

  • @Ryan But smart ones are awesome and cool.

    Posted by T-bone, 06/10/2011 5:02pm (14 years ago)

  • Ignorant Marxists suck!

    Posted by Ryan, 06/10/2011 2:19pm (14 years ago)

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