Republicans’ Closing Argument: “Medicare and Social Security Spending Cuts”

New York Times: GOP proposals include “cutting benefits for some retirees and raising the retirement age.”

In response to new reporting from The New York Times today detailing how Republicans “have embraced plans to reduce federal spending on Social Security and Medicare, including cutting benefits… and raising the retirement age for some retirees,” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson Nora Keefe issued the following statement:

“All cycle long Republicans have been promising to cut Medicare and Social Security, and now they’ve made it their closing argument in the final days of the election. Raising the retirement age and cutting these programs – while giving handouts to the ultra-wealthy and big corporations – is a toxic, unpopular agenda and it will give voters all the reasons they need to reject GOP Senate candidates at the ballot box.”

See the report for yourself:

The New York Times: Republicans, Eyeing Majority, Float Changes to Social Security and Medicare
Democrats have seized on Republican proposals to limit retirement benefits to galvanize voters ahead of the midterm elections.
By Jim Tankersley

November 2, 2022

Key Points:

• Republicans… have embraced plans to reduce federal spending on Social Security and Medicare, including cutting benefits for some retirees and raising the retirement age for both safety net programs.

• Several influential Republicans have signaled a new willingness to push for Medicare and Social Security spending cuts as part of future budget negotiations with President Biden.

• The fact that Republicans are openly talking about cutting the programs has galvanized Democrats in the final weeks of the midterm campaign.

• Democratic candidates have barraged voters with a flurry of advertisements claiming Republicans would dismantle the programs and deny older adults benefits they have counted on for retirement.

• Former President Barack Obama, who campaigned last week in Wisconsin for the state’s Democratic candidate for Senate, Mandela Barnes, excoriated Senator Ron Johnson, the incumbent Republican, over his plans for the legacy programs. Mr. Obama faulted Mr. Johnson for supporting tax breaks for the wealthy that were included in Republicans’ 2017 tax cut legislation, along with spending proposals that Mr. Obama said jeopardized Social Security’s future.

• American retirees “had long hours and sore backs and bad knees to get that Social Security,” Mr. Obama said. “And if Ron Johnson does not understand that — if he understands giving tax breaks for private planes more than he understands making sure that seniors who have worked all their lives are able to retire with dignity and respect — he’s not the person who’s thinking about you and knows you and sees you, and he should not be your senator from Wisconsin.”

• Mr. Johnson has proposed subjecting Social Security and Medicare to annual congressional spending bills instead of operating essentially on autopilot as they do now. That would leave the programs susceptible to Washington’s frequent and fraught debates over funding the government, making it more difficult for retirees to count on a steady stream of benefits.

• Democrats have also criticized a plan from Senator Rick Scott of Florida, the chairman of the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, who has proposed subjecting nearly all federal spending programs to a renewal vote every year. Like Mr. Johnson’s plan, that would make Medicare and Social Security more vulnerable to budget cuts.

• Mr. Bolduc spoke in favor of privatizing Medicare in August, Politico reported this fall.

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