This past Monday, the House of Representatives held a vote on the so-called debt ceiling deal. I strongly opposed this legislation.
While default was not an option, I would have preferred a bill that raised taxes on corporations that earn billions of dollars a year and have not paid one dollar in taxes. I would have preferred a bill that included an extension of unemployment benefits for those hit hardest by the recession. I would have even preferred a clean bill that simply raised the debt ceiling and allowed Congress to hold a serious debate on debt reduction without it being held hostage to a manufactured "crisis" that brought our country to the brink of financial ruin.
Instead we got the Budget Control Act of 2011, a bill that invests too much power in the hands of a special congressional committee that consists of only 12 members of Congress. The Joint Select Commission on Deficit Reduction can consider cuts of any kind, including cuts to three of our country's most vital safety net programs -- Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. That means that only 12 members of Congress get to decide the proposals concerning these critical programs while every other member must settle for an up or down vote at the end of the process.
Thus under a bill that excludes revenue raising measures and that does not close legal loopholes exploited by tax-evading corporations, the poor and working families who rely on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security may once again find their benefits on the chopping block. And most members, who represent the vast majority of the people who might be impacted, will have little input on the final plan.
The irony of this of course is that large majorities of the American people oppose cuts to these programs. But in an attempt to shield this new commission from the political forces that roiled this past debate over the debt ceiling, the process set up by the Budget Control Act reduces the voice of the American people to a whisper.
That is why I along with 16 of my colleagues introduced a resolution, H. Con. Res. 72, expressing the sense of Congress that any legislative language approved by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction should not reduce benefits for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid recipients. At a moment when the economy is reeling, we should heed the voice of the American people and focus on protecting these sources of financial stability and security.
Congress needs to go on the record and state its intent to preserve America's safety net programs. My colleagues and I believe this resolution is needed to renew Congress' longstanding commitment to provide assistance to the most vulnerable members of society. And the American people need to send a message to the members of the deficit reduction commission, whoever they may end up being, that they need to prioritize the preservation of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security and to focus on finding a means of balancing the budget that does not do so on the backs of working families.
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Rep. Conyers would no doubt be astounded to discover that most Americans don't want an unemployment check. They want a job. Raising taxes on employers is the surest way to make certain they don't get one. Paying people to remain unemployed is the second surest way.
We can't fix our finances without touching the big3.
Why can people not see that if we do not fix these 3 problems, we will never fix our overall budget problem. The current programs are not sustainable.
I don't want 12 individuals making such impactful decisions on our behalf. I want 535 members of the House and Senate to do the job we hired them for, to deliberate, not to hide from their positions and not to put political expediency ahead of everything. This commission is the boldest display of cowardice I've ever seen from Congress.
90% of the patent infringement cases that go to court are pharm cases.
Regulating (it's done with public utilities) can reduce prices, make them affordable, not put people out of work and drastically lower the cost of healthcare, including Medicare and Medicaid without cutting the benefits. More taxes on the upper 1% needs to get done, but it's far from the only thing that needs to get done to promote a fiscally sound budget (ending wars, ending corporate welfare, raise SS age, close tax loopholes, etc)
Cut Medicare and you cut spending, which will sock the economy pretty hard. Cut Medicare and people may not go to the doctor and get all those nice pricey tests that generate revenue.
Cut Medicaid and expect a whole bunch of medical bills that simply won't get paid, plus you'll be picking up the tab for uninsured sicker patients who waited too long to get medical care.
It's all about the money, and cutting safety net programs will cut revenue and increase spending.
I am not sure about your message here.
As I understand it, SS, Medicare and Medicaid are protected in the deal. You should know that.
Unless the Commission might agree - which is unlikely since repuBS already made clear revenues will not be on the table.
So this do nothing commission will do nothing - automatically enacting spending cuts on defense and domestic spending - not being the entitlement programs.
None of these cuts will happen in 2012 or 2013 and in 2013 with a new government the remainder of the deal will end up in the trashcan along with the committee of do nothing.
Absolute stroke of genius by Obama - even better that repuBS sell it to their base as 98% win! It is like standing there with a bucket of horse manure and saying the steaks are ready...
I guess your article is a little bit political scaremongering to keep the base alert - and I dont think its a good idea. I think explaining the genius of this deal would work a whole lot better..
As a Baby Boomer, I am Happy that our American youth, that can not get a job, as long as I hold it, will pay for my retirement, when I get around to it.
I am Happy, that young Progressives will be paying for my medical bills. There are SO MANY Boomers, that I would have a hard time paying for the attention of overloaded physicians, on my own.
I am EXTREMELY HAPPY, that I have liquidated my 401k's before the Market down turn. It would be so hard to enjoy my golden years, without spending in the manner that I am acustomed to.
Thank You Progressive Liberal Piggy Banks!
You balk at signing a Budget Control Bill that so weakly, tries to restrain to government spending, after committing the fortunes of working Americans to pay for a healthcare system, designed to fail. A bill so large and couched in legalese, that YOU DID NOT READ IT, BEFORE YOU VOTED ON IT!
A 2200 page OUTLINE, to be filled in at a later date, by faceless bureaucrats.
Didn't anyone ever teach you, NEVER SIGN A CONTRACT with blank pages, to be filled in after your signature?
Does it matter who , or how many administrations, created this debt.
The "Adults" in the room want to pay off the debt, rather than "Kicking it Down the Road!"
How many liberals chastise Republicans for wanting to destroy the environment today, at the expense of their children, and their grandchildren?
Why do you willingly commit yourself and future generations to paying off the debt of wasteful politicians, servants of the people!
Government should SHARE in the sacrifices the president so easily assigns to this country's citizens.
The country IS NOT BROKE, the government is.
How easy it is for 51% if the nations citizens, recipients of government largess, to vote for others to dig deeper into THEIR pockets.
You say the Tea Party Representatives refused to compromise! Many of the "No!" votes came from veteran politicians covering their re-election azses!
I see no room for compromise when the two options are "Your wallet and your watch," or "just your wallet!"
Assembling a Debt Commission,
Listening to the Debt Commission,
Rejecting the advice of the Debt Commission!
Mr. Obama wants Geithner to remain, because, he does not have anybody else to go to in his shallow pool of talent, that is willing to be ignored, then blamed, then driven over.
But no one expects you to understand
Bye Dan