Obama Aide On Social Security Cut Story: It 'Overshoots The Runway' (UPDATED)

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is pushing back against a Wednesday night report that the president is prepared to offer cuts to Social Security as part of a deal to raise the debt ceiling.

"The story overshoots the runway," said a senior administration official. "The President said in the State of the Union that he wanted a bipartisan process to strengthen Social Security in a balanced way that preserves the promise of the program and doesn't slash benefits."

"While it is definitely not a driver of the deficit," the official added, "it does need to be strengthened."

The response, sent via email to The Huffington Post, provides a measure of assurance to Democrats who were taken aback by the abrupt news, broken by the Washington Post, that Social Security reform was now on the debt-ceiling table. Still, the devil is in the details, and the idea of "strengthening" the entitlement program remains the vague standard for reform.

Making Social Security means tested, for instance, could be pitched as a way to improve the program's solvency, even if doing so would drastically undermine its founding purpose, as some experts warn.

There are also several smaller alterations that have been proposed. Last week, advocates expressed concern over news that lawmakers were considering changes to the way the government calculates the rate of growth for benefits people receive.

Confusing the debate even more are the political implications of putting Social Security or any other entitlement reform at the heart of debt-ceiling negotiations. Democrats believe they can use Republicans' votes for a Medicare voucher program earlier this spring as a potent political weapon. But by signing off on cuts of their own -- the thinking goes -- Democrats would lose any political advantage they've gained by saying they are protecting Medicare while the GOP is trying to fundamentally change or do away with the program.

UPDATE 10:38 a.m: White House spokesman Jay Carney commented on the reports concerning Social Security cuts Thursday morning.

"There is no news here," Carney said. "The President has always said that while social security is not a major driver of the deficit, we do need to strengthen the program and the President said in the State of the Union Address that he wanted to work with both parties to do so in a balanced way that preserves the promise of the program and doesn't slash benefits."

Comments

[Gary Cruiser]

08:36 PM on 07/21/2011

AMERICA MUST MEET THIS DEADLINE

Obama always pushes his agenda of raising taxes, before realizing that there are more important guidelines to retain integrity and worldwide political influence.

America’s political influence is vastly superior than using the military to win over allies’ support of international goals and achievements. What makes America strong is that all the other countries in the world look up to us as enjoying the best diverse lifestyle that we have come to take for granted.

This is not the right time for Obama to force his personal agenda of raising taxes, on the other statesmen to achieve a personal goal. Republicans should follow Boehner’s influence of reducing the deficit equal to the increase in the debt ceiling.

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are standing in the way to achieve a clean agreement to increase the debt limit by the same amount of reducing the deficit.

This should not be about a power play by Obama, Pelosi or Reid who are just grandstanding for their own personal interests.

Some things are more important than the power of the President of the United States. A true leader must account for the responsibility of connecting the divisions of power within the government to meet deadlines.

Voters are watching very carefully how their representatives are conducting themselves on this extremely important issue. Not raising the debt limit is like condoning all persons can walk away and not pay their mortgages.

Do we want 4 more years of this?

CRUISER4NEWS

[aburch9351]

01:06 PM on 07/13/2011

what up with news that there may NOT BE ANY AUG CKS for SRS, VETS, and DISABLED in AUG??????? i AM PAYING ATTENTION TO WHOEVER IS TRYING TO HURT YES I SAID hurt
this group of people. Whos going to buy their grocs, meds , daily living i ment to say daily existing . this is just plain mean, and uncalled for. bal the budget BUTT NOT at the expense of the poorest of the POOR. all OF THEM NEED TO MAN UP AND DO THE JOB that we the peple HIRED THEM FOR . QUIT FIGHTING AND DO WHATS RIGHT FOR ALL not just the very rich and big companies

[Mattcat25]

09:17 AM on 07/11/2011

Republicans would rather see the United States go bankrupt instead of assisting in our economic solvency.

[jmundstuk]

03:25 PM on 07/09/2011

Depends on what the meanings of "strengthen" and "slash benefits" are.

[jts ghost]

09:29 AM on 07/10/2011

Exactly what I was thinking. Obama has always been cryptic about Social Security, and the press has never pushed him for answers. So why Democrats think he's not going to cut benefits is beyond me. He has never said he wouldn't make cuts. He has said cuts would be a bad idea. That's different.

[maxhnb]

09:50 PM on 07/08/2011

I dont believe the alarmists or the leaks used to make headlines. When we know, we will know. The WH knows that if this is the case , they can hide it as long as they want but when the news is verified it will do just as much damage as it would have two weeks ago..
So why would they atempt to deceive us ?

The GOp will not negotiate revenues and defense and Dems will not negotiate Medicare benefits. The debt limit an be legally enforced through the 14th Amendment and doing so maybe as sly as using blackmail by the GOP. The 82% of Americans who opposed Medicare cuts will accept a 14th Amendment based action and should.

[JBS]

03:52 PM on 07/08/2011

He's going to capitulate again and call it a compromise.

[Cory111]

03:19 PM on 07/14/2011

Are you giving odds JBS?

[Westerner09]

02:47 PM on 07/08/2011

Hey neville. Still working for "peace in our time"? Lest anyone get the wrong idea I am a former Goldwater Republican. Not the small r kind so prevalent these days. I am also a former Marine. Never consider myself anything other than a real fiscal conservative. But like many of my more liberal friends I tend to try to pay for the things I want. You say you want to strengthen Social Security? OK!!! Take the ceiling off the income amounts subject to social security taxes. Don't penalize those less fortunate. Social Security payouts should also have some form of means testing. Cutting benefits to those already struggling defeats both the purpose and the spirit of the original law. Also the bush tax cuts for those making more than $500K should die now. Have you forgotten the line in the preamble to the Constitution that refers to promoting "the general welfare". Not just for those who can already easily afford it.

[maxhnb]

09:55 PM on 07/08/2011

Hey Westerner, I agree with your points, but what does being a leatherneck have to do with it ?
Being fiscally Conservative beat being fiscally frenetic and even so, human decency is not only morally sound but also fiscally wise. The cost of neglecting to deliver medical care can be mosntrously more expensive than not.

As a non-combatant, I too will need medical care in my later years and like you see the wisdom in doing the right thing.

[smburwick]

01:36 PM on 07/08/2011

Well Frog, if you do live in this state, you should be aware of the mess this state is in because of obat Deval Patrick. Romney only signed the bill and would have fixed the problems. I know people on boards of hospitals that are fuming from the regulations and cuts, and perks to illegals.

[smburwick]

01:33 PM on 07/08/2011

Frog: I don't care what was done 20 or 30 years ago. This is now, and if you don't recognize what is running this country, I can't help you.

[smburwick]

01:30 PM on 07/08/2011

Oh Frog, stay in the pot, or on it for that matter.

[jimdavis11]

08:16 AM on 07/08/2011

Their should be no discussion about cutting Soc.Sec. Medicare or any program that helps people who simply don't get paid a living wage! Why? Because this country has more than enough wealth to deal with the problems!

[Cory111]

07:53 AM on 07/08/2011

How about you folks out here complaining about this administration tell us how it's affecting your daily life?
Are you down in the soup kitchen on a borrowed lap top? Are you on unemployment and without healthcare? Did you get booted out of your home?
Come on, fess up, you never had it so good, you just like to see your posts in print.

[jimdavis11]

08:24 AM on 07/08/2011

cory111, I know some people who got booted out of their home because they are unemployed and can't seem to get health care for a child because of medicaid funding. Please don't sit up their in your ivory tower and make statements like this. Listen to that voice from deep within that I know you hear because that voice belongs to god.

[Cory111]

02:04 PM on 07/08/2011

It's not an Ivory tower, it's a Tide soap box with a great foundation.

I don't hear voices, just that simple. If you feel God is talking to you and you were my neighbor the local police department would be knocking on your door.

[cookiemunstahh]

09:22 PM on 07/11/2011

I agree with cory111 AND my mom is unemployed. My family has always been working class and it annoys me when middle class and upper middle class people want to cut welfare, etc. when making upward mobility for the lower classes difficult and then they complain when THEIR jobs are cut but then simultaneously claim the lower classes are "lazy". Apparently their mommies and daddies failed to teach them financial responsibility. My mom gets on okay (usually--in the past she needed unemployment/welfare) because she knows how to spend responsibly... on less than what most people spend.

When my mom lived in Vietnam she slept only 3 hours a day and worked 18 hours per day so she knows the real value of money.

Seriously, people need to stop spending money on stupid crap like iPhones, iPads and 50" TVs. I go to grad school now and I spend most of my income on health insurance, food and shelter because those things should be most important in your life. While it is important to be entertained and live happily, you can't be happy if you can't have to worry about basics like managing debt and having a place to live.

[aburch9351]

08:09 AM on 07/21/2011

MY STORY if you care to read ; I am a sr had a job husband got very sick and I am also raising thru no fault of the parents 2 small grands husband passed away had his s.s.and retirement plus my s.s. and had ins thru city he wked for ALL gone EXCEPT YOU GUESSED IT MY S.S. i do not get public assist pay my own way for me and grands not on street have a very old computer and I try to stay informed .hope this answers your ? about the soup kitchen . no i still make house notes, utilities, meds , food did i mention i do not get or want public assist. I only want what i wked and pd into nothing more nothing less. i am to the point i blame BOTH dems, & reps for the mess we are in WHOEVER SPEAKS UP AND DOES SOMETHING FOR SRS, VETS, CHILDREN, and the working poor he or she has my attention.

[combot1]

07:10 AM on 07/08/2011

He isn't caving - get it straight. He planned it all along.

[eaarth2]

06:39 AM on 07/08/2011

Not caving?

Obama has caved on health care, the environment and he will cave on this.

[Cory111]

07:39 AM on 07/08/2011

The only cave that seems to be in disarray is the one you are living in. The debt ceiling will be raised and as usual the Republicans will continue to thwart Obama’s every move.

[eaarth2]

08:05 AM on 07/08/2011

Living in a Cave? Who me?

If Obama had a better message, more stones, more integrity- and stopped following polls- he would not be as you say 'thwarted' by the extreme right.

FDR once said-' I welcome the hate of the wealthy and big business' Obama plays golf with them- so much for me living in a cave.

[rogergoldkin]

06:07 AM on 07/08/2011

Mr. President, don't go there!