Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forumBiden's Advocacy for Social Security Cuts Has Had Real Consequences
This is from The American Prospect. Rated left bias but highly factual.
The proposal for chained CPI, a cut to future benefits, during the Obama administration led to its widespread use in other areas of the government.
https://prospect.org/politics/biden-advocacy-for-social-security-trims-has-had-real-cons/
That record includes a lunge at reducing future Social Security benefits while Biden served as vice president. While thankfully unsuccessful, this mistake continues to have damaging effects to this day. Republicans capitalized on the opening of this Pandoras box to increase taxes on lower-class Americans and reduce assistance to the poor. And it set the stage for lower Social Security benefits as well. The story of chained CPI may be the most damning part of Bidens record on Social Security.
Going back to 1984, Biden has expressed interest in deals that would cut Social Security. He proposed freezing Social Security spending and periodically highlighted that desire; he voted for a balanced-budget amendment even after failing to shield Social Security from it; and he demanded that Social Security be put on the table during his last presidential run. He associates himself with a crowd known for foregrounding deficit concerns and fully willing to make tough choices on earned benefits like Social Security. Bruce Reed, Bidens vice presidential chief of staff from 2011 to 2013 and a top campaign aide, was executive director of the Bowles-Simpson commission, which pursued deficit reduction and proposed increases in the retirement age.
As a coup de grace, in 2012 and 2013 then-Vice President Biden helped lead a publicly advocated scheme to reduce future Social Security benefits as part of a grand bargain with Republicans. This cut did not reflect any of President Obamas campaign promises, but it became part of a negotiation while in officeprecisely the fear that liberals have with Biden, that he will revert back to dealmaking with Republicans that sells out core Democratic principles.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Gothmog
(145,249 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Hassin Bin Sober
(26,328 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
George II
(67,782 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Kurt V.
(5,624 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
boomer_wv
(673 posts)If you're willing to look.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Kurt V.
(5,624 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
you're in denial. It's in black and white.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Response to boomer_wv (Reply #31)
Post removed
Gothmog
(145,249 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Cha
(297,240 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Hassin Bin Sober
(26,328 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
George II
(67,782 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
boomer_wv
(673 posts)Bernie fans with their fingers in the ears, their eyes closed, and sing LALALALALALA.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Demsrule86
(68,576 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Gothmog
(145,249 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
bluedye33139
(1,474 posts)That is the real world effect of his activity? Republicans rewrote the tax code specifically because they had heard Joe Biden say something about cost containment measures in the 1980s?
Really?
That doesn't make sense.
"Republicans and the Trump administration included it in the 2017 tax cuts. Tax brackets, the standard deduction, and the Earned Income Tax Credit all now are indexed using chained CPI, and it amounts to a regressive tax increase."
This is the consequence that the article discusses.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)for those on the low end of payment scale. That would have helped those beneficiaries a lot.
While not supporting chained-CPI, for several years after that proposal the annual increase would have been greater than the CPI measure currently used.
If trump, or another GOPer wins in 2020, we are going to wish some of the discussion points they really werent proposals had been pursued by Obama. People were too damn busy screaming and hollering, without knowing what they were talking about, to look at the big picture.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
George II
(67,782 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
EveHammond13
(2,855 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
PatrickforO
(14,574 posts)many others have said we need to cut Social Security?
Because I've earned my benefits, paycheck by paycheck over a work life that is approaching fifty years. So don't tell me you don't care.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
EveHammond13
(2,855 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
BannonsLiver
(16,387 posts)Have you not been online today? Bernie said the same thing.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Gothmog
(145,249 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
revmclaren
(2,523 posts)and Sanders is now beginning to truly be vetted. Especially when he, his campaign, or even his fans push false stories.
ONLY!!! 2020 and beyond.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Thekaspervote
(32,767 posts)Hey aoc thx for reminding us of that. And Bernie, did you really think this wouldnt come out?!
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Demsrule86
(68,576 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Hassin Bin Sober
(26,328 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Gothmog
(145,249 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Demsrule86
(68,576 posts)for us.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Gothmog
(145,249 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
JoeOtterbein
(7,701 posts)...pesky facts?
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
zentrum
(9,865 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Hassin Bin Sober
(26,328 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Kurt V.
(5,624 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Demsrule86
(68,576 posts)Social Security or intended too...the idea was to look reasonable like they might. I suggest you look at Gothmogs OP. There is a newspaper from the Bloomberg article that is contemporaneous and has the Sanders quote.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
The Valley Below
(1,701 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
NCProgressive
(1,315 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Autumn
(45,088 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Hassin Bin Sober
(26,328 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Autumn
(45,088 posts)But chained CPI didnt go away.
Republicans and the Trump administration included it in the 2017 tax cuts. Tax brackets, the standard deduction, and the Earned Income Tax Credit all now are indexed using chained CPI, and it amounts to a regressive tax increase. If the inflation calculation rises more slowly, more salary gets pushed into a higher tax bracket, and deductions and tax credits erode as well. This will increase taxes by $128 billion over the first ten years, and $500 billion in the next ten. Since the wealthy are already in the highest tax bracket and dont typically use the standard deduction, theyre unaffected.
With chained CPI in place for taxes, it led to an inevitable argument: If we have this more accurate inflation measure, which even a Democratic president supported, why not use it for everything? Indeed, the Trump administration next proposed to use chained CPI to calculate the federal poverty line last May. The poverty line sets eligibility for a host of programs, from Medicaid to food stamps to low-income heating assistance. And using chained CPI gradually reduces eligibility.
Like a weed, chained CPI is infiltrating the federal government, acting as a stealth cut to public-assistance programs and a stealth increase to middle-class taxes. Worst of all, it creates a presumption that theres a more accurate inflation measure, one that could be harmonized across the government. As Nancy Altman told the Prospect last year, the switch to chained CPI is a step toward getting at the largest program thats indexed [by inflation], and thats Social Security.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Demsrule86
(68,576 posts)the table by combining it with a tax increase...and it worked. Seriously? And Sander said we need to adjust benefits...look at Gothmog's article. And the Paul Ryan video was doctored...big fat lie courtesy of Sirota...and the buck stops at with Sanders.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Hassin Bin Sober
(26,328 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)to the mat for their candidate. You keep trying to slip a knife into Biden, even after documented evidence that your fav candidate used similar wording in a similar analysis. The knife is a dull spoon.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Hassin Bin Sober
(26,328 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)at birth (actually before, if my mom could tell it).
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden