GOP senator says tax cuts must be followed by 'structural changes to Social Security and Medicare'

[workinclasszero]

Source: The Week

Senate Republicans started the clock for a final vote on their tax plan Wednesday evening, but among the unresolved demands from GOP waverers is a provision to prevent the bill from adding up to $1.5 trillion to the federal deficit over 10 years.

No serious analysis has suggested the growth from slashing taxes for corporations and other businesses would make up that shortfall, and Republicans haven't offered any evidence. At a Politico Playbook forum on Wednesday, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said that cutting taxes needs to be followed by cutting spending on popular federal programs.

"I analyze this very differently than most," Rubio said. "Many argue that you can't cut taxes because it will drive up the deficit. But we have to do two things. We have to generate economic growth which generates revenue, while reducing spending. That will mean instituting structural changes to Social Security and Medicare for the future."

He suggested reducing benefits and raising the retirement age for future retirees, so people can prepare for the changes. "Tax reform is the economic component of this equation," Rubio said. "When more people are working, there are more taxpayers and more revenue, but that alone won't be enough. You are still going to have a debt problem in the absence of spending cuts."

Read more: http://theweek.com/speedreads/740454/gop-senator-says-tax-cuts-must-followed-by-structural-changes-social-security-medicare

---

The Republicans are closing in on their dreams of finally killing FDR's and LBJ's social programs.

[guillaumeb]

1. The already too rich must be allowed to get richer

at the expense of the bottom 99.5%.

That makes sense.

Recommended.

[bullwinkle428]

2. Translation : ripping off struggling older folks to give to billionaires.

[SamKnause]

3. Bernie knew this was coming.

He stated it in the debate Tuesday night on CNN.

He told the audience that if the tax bill passed cuts to Social Security, Medicaid, and

Medicare were next.

[workinclasszero]

6. I guarantee it!

The republicans will say we MUST FIX THE HUUUGE DEFICITS (that we created) by gutting social security, medicaid, SNAP, any social program you can think of.

Fuckin Rubio let the cat out of the bag a little early that bastard!

[LongTomH]

13. Bernie will keep warning citizens of this, I just hope other congresspeople 'on our side' join him!!

[Wwcd]

36. Where the hell was he when Trump was a candidate?

Now he talks ?

[SamKnause]

39. What the hell are you talking about ???

Bernie has been talking about this for decades.

Republicans have always had plans to cut S.S., Medicaid, and Medicare.

Most recently, Tuesday on CNN and also on C-SPAN Bernie spoke out again.

When he ran for president he wanted to raise S.S.

[Wwcd]

40. No he has not. But its a great that he speaks out now. Finally.

[SamKnause]

42. You are misinformed.

[rurallib]

49. Where the hell were you?

I saw Bernie in person several times and this was always brought up.

Now, the media never reported it, though. They gave Clinton and Sanders 0 air time on issues.
So if you are basing this on what you saw in the media, well, blame the media.

[Ace Rothstein]

54. You must not have been paying attention.

[alarimer]

47. He's been talking about social security at least since 2011

https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/2011/09/14/strengthen-social-security

Probably before, but I'm guessing you have an ax to grind.

[Wwcd]

37. Hillary knew it in 2016. Wasn't so important then?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=9904921

SHE TOLD THIS COUNTRY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN UNDER TRUMP!!

***Paying for Donald Trump’s tax cuts for the rich could require cutting Medicare and Social Security by trillions:***
MORE...


SOMEONE TELL ME WHY SHE WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH?

Tell me why some believed the republicans & the Kremlin would be better than HER.

Everytime I hear pissin & moaning from those who chose someone other than the best we had, I want to shove this policy platform in their face.

[kacekwl]

4. Are you listening seniors and boomers ?

That goes for the despicable seniors too. You think your president will spare you ?

[RKP5637]

26. The deplorables still think the check from Trump is coming in the mail, he cares so much

about them.

[titaniumsalute]

5. Go ahead and campaign on that Marco

Your state is the oldest in the Nation. Drive into the Villages, get out your soap box, and tell them you are cutting Medicare. They'll run you down with their walkers and golf carts.

[Raster]

8. And as well they should...

...I would PAY to see a herd of elder Floridians swarm Lil' Marco en masse.

Pay!

[Sophia4]

11. If you have a parent aged 50 or over, you should not vote Republican.

Because the Republicans want to make you responsible for the nursing home care of your parents when they cannot take care of themselves.

Don't vote Republican.

It's quite simple.

Paying for the care of very elderly people used to be the responsibility of the young. That was when so many people lived on farms and grew their own food --before the 30s.

Now, that is impossible. As a young person, you can barely earn enough to pay for your children.

We pay for the care for very elderly and very helpless people as a community. That's the Democratic way. The Republicans want to place that burden solidly on the children of the elderly.

At the same time, employers really don't want to continue to employ most people after a certain age. Thus a vise is created for older workers. The employer wants them to retire. The Republicans (strangely enough the very employers who want to fire their older, slower workers) want them to continue to earn their living.

Republicans suck.

May I repeat that.

Republicans suck.

Don't be one.

Don't vote for one.

[LongTomH]

14. If you EVER expect to be old, don't vote Republican!!!

[rickford66]

43. If you ever expect to LIVE, don't vote Republican.

[Thor_MN]

7. Fucking GOP, equating income taxes with Social Security and Medicare. They are SEPARATE programs!!!

Social Security and Medicare have separate funding, that's why they are separate on one's pay stub. Income tax cuts should not be balanced by Social Security and Medicare.

[workinclasszero]

9. Republicans: More money for the Koch bros

Fuck where it comes from

[modrepub]

27. "Trust Fund" Busting

It's separate but Congress has been "using" the over collection of SS taxes for decades to balance the budget; take the excess SS collections and issue US Bonds as IOUs. Now they will just reduce the payouts and make the current payments (and interest) "balance".

SS should always have been run as a pay as you go program (Thanks Reagan and Tip O'Neill). This whole thing could have been "fixed" if they had just raised the amount of income subject to SS withholding. Of course that would have increased taxes on the upper income earners and we all know how Republicans feel about that....

[Auggie]

10. So now we know: this budget was planned to kill the ACA, Social Security and Medicare

[workinclasszero]

17. Republicans: "game, set, match"

[not fooled]

44. It's a Trojan horse

to destroy the remnants of the New Deal and the Great Society.

The morans who voted for dump have no clue what's coming.

Unfortunately, the rest of us will suffer alongside them.

We have to vote Democrats into office with a mandate to reverse the puke stealth destruction of our country.

[Auggie]

56. Absolutely. The U.S. federal executive departments are being destroyed too.

[Jarqui]

12. "Republicans are closing in on their dreams of finally killing ... social programs."

Doing so, Republicans will kill themselves as a viable party in a Democracy. To retain power, they must be thinking of bypassing democracy because the majority will not vote for a party who takes away their medicare and social security.

[workinclasszero]

20. But they did vote for it

I have a sibling that depends on government assistance for a chronic medical condition.

She and her husband are hardcore republican right wingers/Trump supporters.

[not fooled]

45. And

the pukes will phase in the hurt and hide the cause so that most people will have no clue what's going on or who's responsible. Besides, per Thom Hartmann's commentary this week, assuming the dems do well in the next few elections, the cuts will be triggered on their watch which will make the public likely blame them, with the hypocritical pukes leading the chorus.

Of course, the media will do their usual crappy job of nonexplaining.

[haele]

59. Bypass Democracy? They want to kill democracy, also.

It's an oligarchy they're aiming for. Or rather, a Mob Family.
The GOP wants the U.S. to be like Russia or China, with their party in charge for as long as they can crack down on dissent.

They need a far smaller population of a semi-captive workforce they don't have to invest in or pay to maintain, and they need useless non-workers to die off quickly.

It's just easier for the GOP to pick a particular "tribe" to ride as "citizens" - in this case, Evilangelical Whites who are afraid of losing their social standing and anyone who might stand up to their bullying - and get rid of everyone else. Fearful drones who will be happy to throw grandma and grandpa off a cliff if it keeps them in a false sense of comfort in a small, small world, or gives them a illusion of privilege over anyone who might be smarter or work harder than they do.

Haele

[LongTomH]

15. I'm already seeing elderly panhandlers on the streets here in KC......

.....including some with walkers and a few in wheelchairs.

Thank you, Ronnie Reagan, may the Devil burn you well!!!!

[BigmanPigman]

51. I will second that. That BASTARD was the beginning of the

end as far as I am concerned. In my freshman year of art school in NYC he was shot and all the other students on my floor in our "dorm" on Union Sq. were joyous...until word came that he would pull through. My Italian grandmom in FL threw a party...she hated him and Nancy. That means that since the 80s I have had to suffer the fallout of that fucking president/actor. And I voted Dem in every election (locat, etc.) since I was able to first vote in 1980. THIS SUCKS!

[underpants]

16. One of the oddest parts is that they really think there's been no economic growth

I know they hate Obama and are set on erasing everything he did. To scrub him from history. There was growth and a lot of stemmed from tax cuts to the middle class (yes Virginia that happened during the recovery). Totally delusional.

[TexasBushwhacker]

21. They've conveniently forgotten what he inherited n/t

[left-of-center2012]

18. "reducing benefits and raising the retirement age"

Is the GOP still the party of family values?

[notdarkyet]

23. Manson family values.

[workinclasszero]

25. Bingo!

[BlueIdaho]

19. What a fucking surprise...

Not. This has been the plan all along. When this disasterous bill becomes law and the federal debt starts rising - that will be the cue to gut the social programs millions of Americans have paid into and depend on during their sunset years.

These motherfuckers are the meanest, coldest, nastiest bunch of scoundrels on the planet. They make the North Koreans look like angels.

[sarcasmo]

22. Oligarchs and serfs, USA! USA! USA!

[TexasBushwhacker]

24. How exactly does he plan on "more people working"

As it is, good luck getting a new job when you're 50+. Thousands of people are taking early retirement at age 62 every day, not because they want to, but because they have no other choice. No one will hire them. They get a considerable cut in monthly benefits when they do. We have thousands of elderly migrant workers now who have to travel state to state in run down RVs to get whatever kind of temporary work they can.

[Doitnow]

28. Maybe his heart needs some "structural changes." How about Rethugs

stop stoking the military for wars for oil, bring back our servicemen and women in over 100 countries and start doing something to HELP this world instead of themselves and their backers with the billions we could save.

About tax cuts to spur the economy------ all I can say is KANSAS, KANSAS, KANSAS, KANSAS, KANSAS, KANSAS, KANSAS, KANSAS,KANSAS, KANSAS.

[RKP5637]

29. Basically the goal/agenda of the GOP is to kill off as many Americans as possible. People need

to take their blinders off and see what's going on. Republican supporters/enablers are a lost cost ... they're already going over the cliff, Lemmings they are.

[lark]

30. Oh, just say it more plainly.

Repugs are closing in on stealing our $ (which they have already gifted to the rich in advance) and our healthcare so we die quickly and don't use a lot of resources.

[tomp]

31. Obama put that on the table...

...with his "cat food committee." Republicans have their foot in the door obama opened.

[Scarsdale]

32. What needs changing is

the benefits package these dead wood politicians give themselves. Why can't THEY open 401K's like normal people? Why do they get lifetime medical coverage? Why do they so many perks and time off? It is as though they only work part time for (better than) full time pay. Time to trim the fat in DC. Why all the "aides" who do the work for them? Taxpayers need to stand up for their rights, and make these people face the music. They are elected to represent US not themselves and their rich donors.

[CousinIT]

33. What neither the media nor Republicans EVER mention: raising or removing the cap & raising the rate

IN COMBINATION with full employment and raising ALL wages, those two things - WITHOUT raising the retirement age and WITHOUT cutting benefits - would fix the problem.

[TexasBushwhacker]

58. Raising the retirement age is idiotic

As it is, the only way to remain fully employed to retirement age is to be working in a job that you've had for 10 to 15 years. Get laid off after age 50? Good luck finding employment that pays anything close to what you were getting. Most people now take Social Security at 62, not because they want to, but because they HAVE TO.

[Yupster]

66. A proposal that would pass --- maybe

I think a proposal with two things in it might pass.

1. Raise the cap on income taxed by social security.

2. Make social security universal by bringing government workers into the system, if they are not already in it.

I think that proposal might work because each side would have to spear one of their favorite oxen.

[davekriss]

34. ...but ... but.... the emails?

Every person that voted for a Republican: F You! The only consolation for me, little that there is, is that most of the Republican voters will be suffering right alongside those of us who voted with compassion, empathy, and intelligence -- i.e., those of us who voted for Democrats.

[Wwcd]

38. Thank you. You think Sarandon or Stein or Niina are worried about their SS & Medicare disappearing?

Not at all.

pour us another cup of that RW Kremlin koolaide

[AmandaRuth]

35. baby boomers are screwed

especially the younger baby boomers, such as myself

[sprinkleeninow]

52. You expressed for me, for us, in plain vanilla what I'm feeling

right today.
The blood went clear up to my head, and my head's tight.
Thank you for your expression, but also take care 'yourself' that this egregious crap doesn't do you in along the way.

The so-called 'holy and spiritual people in the total knowledge of God, His Word, His THINKING' put others under His Judgment? They do. Well, the holy shoe is on the other foot now. 'They' who use Holy Scripture for their 'expediency' when it suits them, are they themselves PUT UNDER GOD'S JUDGMENT.

"Now, how do ya like them apples?!", hypocrites and twisters of spiritual truth.

[trueblue2007]

46. #ImpeachTrump #ImpeachThemAll

Guillotine Now. It is time -- Like they did to all the villains during the French Revolution.

[IronLionZion]

48. Elderly Floridians need a young idiot like Marco to tell them it's time for cuts

to retiree benefits so the wealthy can pay less taxes.

Democrats really need to do better in Florida elections considering GOP is blatantly trying to screw over elderly people to help the wealthy.

[rtracey]

50. just remember...

remember this.... the cretins that voted for Fuckump also gets medicare and some get social security. Many have elderly parents on Medicare and social security. Many of the poor cretins are on medicaid and welfare, so it will be a very tight rope these politicians will be walking.... this WILL BE the battle cry for the democrats in 2018....

[Martin Eden]

53. His NAKED ...

...THEFT is showing.

[geretogo]

55. I'm 70 years old and as I see the bleak future coming under these Fascist Tyrants I'm glad I

only have a few more years to live before leaving this hell hole .

[bucolic_frolic]

57. I told my dad in 1983

there won't be any Social Security by the time I retire because the Republicans were taking it away.
IRA's, then Roth IRA's, medical savings accounts, 401K's .... they've sprinkled the tax code with their
Wall Street inbreeding. You always knew where they were headed with it. They reward those with money,
and despise everyone else. They do not understand common people without trust funds, seed capital,
$2,000 a week income, and an estate/homestead/real estate ... they just don't get it.

[Akoto]

60. If they reduce my benefits for being disabled any further...

... Then they'd may as well just not pay me! As is, it's barely enough to do anything with and way below poverty income. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have my folks to live with.

[YOHABLO]

62. I know exactly how you feel. I guess I should just go out into the yard and shoot myself.

[pansypoo53219]

61. the dumbasses voted for serfdom. hope they like it. but hey, the media wanted a fair race.

+ their golden rating squirrel.

[dalton99a]

63. Hey, AARP, wake up

[paleotn]

64. Good luck with that lil Marco

Outside of the Nazis, their only significant base of support are those over 65. I can't believe even Rubio is that fucking stupid.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

65. A lot of retirees in your state little Marco

Just saying