Liberal grassroots group CREDO Action slammed House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) on Thursday for his calls to limit spending on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, saying he "would sell out our social safety net."
"The corporatist wing of the Democratic Party once again has its sights set on cutting Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits under the guise of deficit reduction," said Murshed Zaheed, the group's deputy political director, in an email to supporters. "And our friends on Capitol Hill tell us House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer is leading the charge."
The group is targeting Hoyer's apparent efforts to revive the idea of a "grand bargain" between Republicans and Democrats on long-term budget issues. Earlier this week, Hoyer gave a speech to Third Way, a Democratic think tank, in which he urged the passage of a compromise that would increase government revenues but limit spending on entitlement programs.
But CREDO Action blasted Third Way as "shills for corporate interests" and charged that Hoyer "appears to be working on a proposal which likely includes brutal cuts to Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security benefits."
The email urged readers to sign a petition against Hoyer's plan.