Proof: Republicans, Including Trump, Aim To Slash Social Security (VIDEO)
Many across the nation were likely horrified but not surprised Tuesday night when Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and several other House and Senate Republicans lashed out at President Joe Biden as he delivered the State of the Union Address, falsely branding him a “liar” for telling the truth: The GOP has consistently called to gut, sunset, or otherwise dramatically alter or dismantle the critical, life-saving social safety nets of Social Security and Medicare.
But it’s no secret Republicans for years, including recently, have wanted to take an ax to these programs, and other “entitlements,” despite proof they literally save lives.
Just Monday, Bloomberg reported, “House Republican committee and caucus chairs are pushing to create panels to study extending Social Security and Medicare solvency as part of any debt limit deal.”
“The discussion about creating commissions indicates some policy proposals floated by Republicans on entitlements — such as increasing the eligibility age or adding means-testing measures — are a possibility, even as GOP leaders say they’re not negotiating policy changes directly as part of a debt-limit vote,” Bloomberg added.
Cutting, gutting, altering, or otherwise tampering with “entitlements” (which also include federal and state programs paid for by workers via their paychecks) has been a core policy of the Republican Party for years.
Donald Trump repeatedly called for gutting Social Security and Medicare, a fact that appears to have been conveniently forgotten by some of his staunchest supporters.
Numerous House and Senate Republicans have either attacked or outright called for gutting, “sunsetting,” or otherwise dramatically altering Social Security and Medicare in the past year, including U.S. Senators Rick Scott (FL), Mike Lee (UT), Lindsey Graham (SC), Ted Cruz (TX), Ron Johnson (WI), Ted Budd (NC), and U.S. Reps. Rick Allen (GA), Mike Waltz (NC), Kevin Hern (OK), and others.
Here’s Rep. Greene and most of the Republican caucus Tuesday night heckling the President, with some including Greene calling him a “liar.”
\u201cMarjorie Taylor Greene calls Biden a liar as he accurately states that some Republicans want to sunset Social Security and Medicare. Republicans say no, so Biden responds, "So we all agree, Social Security and Medicare are off the books."\u201d— Sarah Reese Jones (@Sarah Reese Jones) 1675824536
Proud of her disruption of centuries of decorum, after the State of the Union Greene told reporters, “I don’t clap for liars.”
\u201cManu Raju asked Marge Greene about her behavior yelling at Biden during the SOTU: \u201cHe got exactly what he deserved, and I\u2019m not sorry one bit. What am I gonna do, stand up and give golf claps?\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1675869241
Greene then recorded video after shouting “You’re lying!” and “Liar!” at President Biden, defending her antics — by lying.
\u201cMarjorie Taylor Greene admitted to calling President Joe Biden a liar on the House floor during the State of the Union speech. #sotu2023.\u201d— PatriotTakes \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@PatriotTakes \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1675829736
Greene may have led the charge but she was far from the only culprit lying about the President of the United States in a nationally-televised speech that was seen in several parts of the world.
Here’s U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), once floated as a Trump Supreme Court nominee, “feigning outrage” at President Biden’s truthful claim, and video of him calling to gut Social Security and Medicare. In fact, he says in the video the reason he was running for Senate was to pull up “by the roots” Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
\u201cMORE RECEIPTS: @MeidasTouch\nshows how fake the Republican outrage during the State of the Union was. \n\nThey screamed when Biden said they want to cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid BECAUSE IT\u2019S TRUE\ud83d\udc47\ud83c\udffdhttps://t.co/AlPjgylQ4u\u201d— The Tennessee Holler (@The Tennessee Holler) 1675864479
And U.S. Senator Rick Scott, the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), getting called out by Fox News for wanting to “sunset” Social Security and Medicare.
\u201cHere is Rick Scott (R) being called out on Fox News for calling to sunset Social Security and Medicare.\u201d— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen) 1675864807
U.S. Rep. Rick Allen, Republican of Georgia, claiming people are telling him they “want to work longer,” as he says he wants to raise the retirement age, which would dramatically alter Social Security and Medicare.
\u201cHere is a top Republican, Rick Allen (R-GA), recorded on camera saying his party is going after Social Security because people \u201cwant to work longer.\u201d\u201d— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen) 1675824234
Or an apparently younger U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), calling Social Security a Ponzi scheme:
\u201cYou believe Social Security is a ponzi scheme?\n\n@tedcruz "There's no doubt that's what it is."\u201d— Will Ragland (@Will Ragland) 1675827828
Center for American Progress Action’s research director, Will Ragland, in October pointed out Trump has repeatedly promised to gut Social Security and Medicare:
\u201cReminder... Trump proposed cuts to Medicare and Social Security in every budget and straight up said he will cut entitlements in 2020. Why are folks still acting like his broken promises in 2016 amount to anything now?\u201d— Will Ragland (@Will Ragland) 1666639580
“Every single budget Trump proposed would’ve cut hundreds of billions of dollars from Social Security, Medicare, & Medicaid,” Ragland says.
And video of Trump saying it as recently as 2020:
\u201cTrump committed to cutting Social Security and Medicare 3 times in 2020 before the pandemic took hold.\n\n1. Davos: Asked in an interview if cuts to entitlements would ever be on his plate, Mr. Trump said yes.\n\n2. Released proposed budget w/ $875 billion in cuts to SS & Medicare.\u201d— Will Ragland (@Will Ragland) 1675829385
Literally dozens of Republicans back in October called for gutting, sunsetting, or killing Social Security and Medicare. This was the GOP playbook just a few months ago.
\u201cAnd over the last week, Republican leaders have outlined their legislative playbook to get this done... Either Dems make these cuts or they'll manufacture an economic meltdown and have the country default on its debt. https://t.co/fsUuHmYedy\u201d— Will Ragland (@Will Ragland) 1666662259
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham in June: “entitlement reform is a must.”
\u201cWATCH >> Lindsey Graham is promising Republicans are coming for your Medicare and Social Security.\u201d— Ammar Moussa (@Ammar Moussa) 1655148830
U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) in August saying he wants to “fix” “broken” Social Security and Medicare by turning them into “discretionary” spending:
\u201cNEW: On the The Regular Joe Show, Sen. Ron. Johnson (R-WI) argues for eliminating entitlements: "Social Security and Medicare, if you qualify, you just get it no matter what the cost... We ought to turn everything into discretionary spending so it's all evaluated."\u201d— Heartland Signal (@Heartland Signal) 1659481990
U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-NC), as a candidate, agreed with the “major points’ of Sen. Rick Scott’s 11-point plan which included sunsetting all federal programs, which would include Social Security and Medicare. (Sen. Scott just hours ago “doubled down” on his call to die just that.)
\u201c#NCSen GOP candidate @TedBuddNC is aligning himself with NRSC Chair @SenRickScott\u2019s policy roadmap that calls for a tax hike on half of Americans and risks \u201csunsetting\u201d Social Security, Medicare, and coverage protections for people with pre-existing conditions.\u201d— American Bridge 21st Century (@American Bridge 21st Century) 1650388896
U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz (R-NC) just one month ago called for “big reforms,” and said: “if we really want to talk about the debt and spending, it’s the entitlements program.”
\u201cRep. Michael Waltz on the possibility of military spending cuts: "I agree with Jim Jordan that we are going to carve out woke policies out of the military ... [but] if we really want to talk about the debt and spending, it's the entitlements program."\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1673279945
Many of those who have been trying to gut Social Security belong to the far-right Republican Study Committee.
Last summer NBC News reported: “The Republican Study Committee, a large group of House conservatives, proposed a budget in June that would incrementally raise the retirement age to collect Social Security, based on changing life spans, and lower benefits over the long term by using a new formula.”
Reprinted with permission from Alternet.
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