Congressional Democrats should oppose any deal that would cut benefits to Social Security or Medicare as part of an agreement to raise the nation’s debt ceiling.
President Barack Obama and congressional leaders remain deeply divided over debt ceiling negotiations.
Congress has to agree to extend the nation’s debt limit by Aug. 2 to prevent a government default on its bill. If the government fails to raise the debt ceiling it could be catastrophic.
Failure to raise the debt limit would disrupt payments on existing debt and payments to military personnel and recipients to Social Security and other entitlement programs. It could trigger the nation’s return to a recession and hurt the world’s economy.
In an interview with CBS News, Obama said he “cannot guarantee” that the government can pay benefits next month to Social Security recipients, veterans and the disabled if Congress does not increase the $14.3 trillion federal debt limit.
Raising the debt ceiling must be done. It is not an option.
Yet Obama and congressional Democrats should not agree to drastic reductions to Social Security and Medicare in exchange for achieving a deal with Republicans.
They should not allow Republican to use the debt ceiling issue as a way to extort political concessions and slash social programs that were legislated by previous Democratic administrations going back to the Roosevelt administration.
This does not mean that there can’t be restructuring of Social Security and Medicare to reduce waste and costs and ensure the solvency of these vital social programs.
Social Security did not cause the deficit and should not be used for deficit reduction.
AARP CEO A. Barry Rand is right when he points out that: “The deficit debate is not the time or the place to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits.”
Raising the debt ceiling has been traditionally treated as a routine matter. Former President George W. Bush added more than $4 trillion to the national debt. During the Bush administration Congress without controversy raised the debt ceiling seven times.
Why is it different this time? Republicans believe they can blackmail Obama as they did in December when he conceded to extend the Bush tax cuts in order to extend unemployment.
If the Republicans get away with these extortion tactics again they will continue to use them to attack the social programs they oppose.
Republicans have drawn a line in the sand. They will not agree to any deal on raising the debt ceiling that involves any tax increases, including taxes on the wealthy.
Democrats must too draw a line in the sand. They should not agree to any deal that involves cuts to Social Security or Medicare.
Americans should contact their representatives in Congress and tell them to oppose cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits.
(Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune.)