Another one bites the dust

Republicans have a penchant for lying in order to get their way.  One of their biggest lies – that Social Security is going broke – was dealt a blow by the latest Social Security trustees report which found that the program will be able to pay every benefit from tax money coming in until 2033 – and after 2033, if Congress does nothing, there is enough in reserve to pay three-quarters of future benefits for a long time.

The report is basically the same as last year. Social Security is fine for the next twenty years. The report also contained good news for Medicare, as it is now projected to be solvent until 2026. In a statement, Senator Bernie Sanders stressed that these findings confirmed what the reality based political world already knew. Senator Sanders said, “The report from the Social Security trustees confirms what many of us have known, that Social Security is not ‘going broke,’ that it can pay every benefit owed to every eligible American for the next 20 years and that after 2033 there is enough in reserve to pay three-quarters of future benefits.”

Republicans have been claiming that Social Security is going broke for years in order to justify the privatization of the program. The right has also argued that Medicare needs to be replaced with a voucher system because it is going broke. It turns out that both of these claims are absurdly false. While this report is bad news for those Republicans who are trying to sell privatization, it is also bad news for President Obama. The president has made the argument in the past that cost of living adjustments need to be cut by moving to a chained CPI. Today’s report illustrates that there is no need for impulsive steps in the name of getting a deal on entitlements.  The program simply needs tweaking, such as raising the ceiling on how much income can be taxed.

Do not get me wrong, Medicare and Social Security both have revenue problems, but these problems are not imminent. There is still a long term systemic problem looming. Some action will have to be taken in order to shore up the two beloved programs. However, there is a huge difference between tweaking the programs and what Republicans want to do, privatize both programs. Contrary to what Republicans have been saying, there is no need to gut and privatize the programs. Social Security is not going broke, and Medicare is not in immediate danger.

There is one simple solution out there that could keep Social Security strong for decades to come. The cap on the payroll tax should be raised or eliminated so that the wealthy are paying more into the Social Security Trust Fund. As long as millionaires and billionaires continue to pay payroll tax only on only the first $113,700 that they earn, Social Security will always be just a decade or two away from crisis.  Let's raise the cap to $250,000.

Senate Democrats are on the record as opposing any cuts to Social Security.  Today’s report should strengthen their resolve. This has not stopped Republicans from trying to spin the report by exaggerating the potential future problems, but their cries of “we must privatize and put the money with Wall Street” have been largely discredited.

Republicans lie, but the numbers do not. Social Security is not going broke.

Voting against Obama even if it kills us

Pat Toomey (R-PA) has admitted in an interview that the bill for expanded background checks for gun purchases was defeated because Republicans opposed the bill out of a desire to deny the president a victory.  This is regardless of the fact that over 90% of Americans want stronger background checks. Here is what Toomey said, according to a write-up in the Times Herald:

“In the end it didn’t pass because we’re so politicized. There were some on my side who did not want to be seen helping the president do something he wanted to get done, just because the president wanted to do it.” In subsequent comments, he tried to walk that remark part-way back by noting he meant to say Republicans across the nation in general, not just those in the Senate. “The toughest thing to do in politics is to do the right thing when your supporters think the right thing is something else.”

According to Toomey, what doomed Manchin-Toomey is that Republicans across the country opposed it because the president supported it. Having a Republican on record confirming this is useful. As Steve Benen notes, it makes the accusations that Obama needs to “lead” and “twist arms” look ridiculous – in fact, it makes those who say this look ignorant.

Toomey’s concession is particularly relevant to the ongoing debate over Obama’s remarks at his latest press conference. He said:

“…Their base thinks that compromise with me is somehow a betrayal. They’re worried about primaries. And I understand all that. And we’re going to try to do everything we can to create a permission structure for them to be able to do what’s going to be best for the country. But it’s going to take some time.”This is no different from what Toomey said about his own party.

Toomey took a very big political risk by entering into negotiations on a proposal to expand background checks. He knew would it rile up the “gun rights” portion of the GOP base. Toomey and Joe Manchin — both Senators from states with deep gun cultures – negotiated a compromise that went to great lengths to show deference to the gun culture and gun owners. It exempted private transfers through non-commercial portals, so transfers among family members, friends, gun hobbyists and hunters would not be touched, and strengthened prohibitions against the national gun registry conservatives claimed to fear. The idea underlying the proposal was backed by over 80% of Americans. It had the support of a majority of the Senate – including Republicans like John McCain.

Toomey spent weeks trying to talk fellow Republicans – officials and voters alike – into accepting this compromise. But it did not work – virtually all Republican Senators voted against it.  And there is no mystery as to why.  According to Toomey, Republican voters across the country would not support this common sense effort to address a problem that is killing thousands of Americans every year simply because Obama supported it. 

Speaking of biting off your own nose to spite your face…that is just what Republicans are doing.  They will vote against Obama to keep from giving him any type of victory, even if it kills the rest of us.