Hillary Clinton Pledges Not To Cut Social Security Benefits

[riversedge]

Last edited Sun Feb 7, 2016, 11:25 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: HuffingtonPost



Hillary Clinton Pledges Not To Cut Social Security Benefits

Progressive groups applauded the move, but Sanders isn't as impressed.

02/06/2016 02:45 pm ET

Daniel Marans
Reporter, The Huffington Post

Matthew Cavanaugh/Getty Images
Hillary Clinton vowed that she would not cut Social Security benefits on Friday, assuaging progressive groups that had demanded a definitive pledge.

Hillary Clinton promised on Friday that she would not cut Social Security benefits, winning praise from progressive groups that had pressured her to take such a stance -- but drawing questions from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who challenged her commitment to the issue.


The post was a response to something Sanders had tweeted earlier in the day, when he urged Clinton to "join me in saying loudly and clearly that we will never cut Social Security."............
"I won't cut Social Security," Clinton wrote in an initialed tweet that included a link to her campaign website’s Social Security page. "As always, I'll defend it, & I'll expand it. Enough false innuendos."..................

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillary-clinton-pledges-not-to-cut-social-security_us_56b630dfe4b04f9b57d9d482?utm_hp_ref=politics

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Sanders is playing stupid games and scaring people who depend on Soc Security. Shame on the Sanders camp.



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Golly gee.

Sanders has not stepped on this advocacy group like he has PP and Human Rights Campaign!!

Edit to Add:


BoldProgressives.org ?@BoldProgressive Feb 5

PCCC co-founders @StephanieTaylor & @AdamGreen w/ @SSWorks @NancyAlt. @HillaryClinton promises no Soc Security cuts!

[SoLeftIAmRight]

1. Why would she have to do this???

She should have been shouting this for years

[orpupilofnature57]

3. Only in the light of day and popular opinion does She commit .

[Dems2002]

4. Because of the grand bargain

Had republicans held together, Obama would have passed a "grand bargain" to change the funding formula for social security to a chained cpi, which would have lowered benefits while also not being an accurate assessment of how seniors spend their money.

In addition, Hillary hadn't ruled out increasing the retirement age limit, which seems to be appealing to "centrists" who like to "get things done" by screwing over working class workers who typically are already too broken in body to make it to 68 as it is.

[orpupilofnature57]

2. Did she Reeavluate the effect since the debate ? Flop, have her do the same with the TPP .

[cantbeserious]

5. Always Following Bernie's Lead

eom

[riversedge]

14. She has hsd it on her website since last summer. Educate yourself before you post before you look

foolish again.

[w4rma]

23. You're wrong, riversedge. Educate yourself before you post before you look foolish again.

Nancy Altman, a co-founder of Social Security Works who has 35 years of experience in the field, said that Clinton campaign's statement and the policy descriptions on her website, do not definitively promise not to cut the program.

"What Secretary Clinton has said about Social Security is completely consistent with the Bowles-Simpson plan," Altman said, referring to a Fiscal Commission proposal in 2010 that would have made major cuts to middle-class benefits, even as it marginally lifted those of poor beneficiaries. "From the very beginning, there have been those who have wanted to boost benefits at the low end and cut middle-class benefits -- pushing it in the direction of becoming a kind of welfare program. It is very important that the candidates not only expand benefits but promise not to cut them. Otherwise there could be cuts that undermine what the program is: insurance, where you get a fair benefit for the money paid."
http://huff.to/20LyJ2L

[wolfie001]

24. Good job w4rma!!!

Very informative post!

[riversedge]

27. somebody is not listening to her speeches all along. bye

[wolfie001]

35. I guess you have the transcripts of her Goldman Sachs speeches?

That's right, you don't.

[NorthCarolina]

6. Comes down to this:

It depends on what the definition of "cuts" is.

Is raising the retirement age a "cut"? To me it is, but is it to Hillary?

Is Chained CPI considered a cut? To me it is, but is it to Hillary?

Is means testing considered a cut? This one is debatable, but enacting it would take the "universal" out of "universal coverage" and could open the door to legal challenges to the program (which I think is the likely idea driving means testing as a solution).

[8 track mind]

15. Howdy!

Do you care if i steal that GIF?

[NorthCarolina]

21. Not at all.

Be my guest!

[8 track mind]

22. thanks!

[antigop]

29. Is it a cut if you change the benefit formula for someone who is not yet receiving Soc Sec?

Is reducing a future benefit a "cut"?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

34. Chained CPI would be a cut.

Yes, future impact can be measured as "net present value", which is how Republicans and other advocates would claim immediate value and victory over the current and future elderly.

But, not all changes need to cut. We could change to a more "Senior-oriented" CPI which might reduce the impact of gasoline prices, but increase the impact of changes in food prices and health insurance costs. Those would have caused an increase in this year's social security payment. Instead, Social Security payments were flat, while Medicare costs increased.

[antigop]

38. I'm not talking about chained cpi. I'm talking about changing the benefit formula for

people who are not yet collecting Social Security.

Is it a "cut" if you aren't yet collecting?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

40. If it's in your retirement plan, it's a cut

It can either lower your retirement expectations, or it can delay your retirement plans.

Call it a cut, or not, it still hurts.

[antigop]

41. and what's her definition of 'cut'? That's the question. nt

[Spitfire of ATJ]

8. She'll change her position to get something else.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

9. kill to cap - tax all income equally

that is the Sanders solution

[Wounded Bear]

16. Don't think so...

IIRC, Bernie wanted to raise the cap to $250k, but still keep it. It makes sense, so Repubs will never go for it.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

17. We the People

Stand together and we get what we want - fuck the republicans

[PoliticAverse]

10. This problem is of her own doing and comes from 2008

when Obama was the candidate who strongly defended Social Security and Clinton was
the candidate that indicated we should have another "bi-partisan" commission look at it.

Here is one exchange they had:

CLINTON: I am totally committed to making sure Social Security is solvent. You’ve got to begin to reign in the budget, pay as you go, to try to replenish our Social Security Trust Fund. And with all due respect, the last time we had a crisis in Social Security wa 1983. Pres. Reagan and Speaker Tip O’Neill came up with a commission. That was the best and smartest way, because you’ve got to get Republicans and Democrats together. That’s what I will do. And I will say, #1, don’t cut benefits on current beneficiaries they’re already having a hard enough time. And #2, do not impose additional tax burdens on middle-class families.

OBAMA: That commission raised the retirement age, and also raised the payroll tax. So Sen. Clinton can’t have it both ways.

(From: http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Hillary_Clinton_Social_Security.htm )

[Duval]

12. K&R nt

[dragonfly301]

11. I flat out don't trust her on this

When the Grand Bargain was being floated a few years ago, I was spending time on Dkos. Whenever someone wrote a diary criticizing the grand bargain, one popular kossack would jump the tip jar to proclaim that CPI is not a cut. Every f'ing time. Never bothered to ask a retiree if getting less SS money in your pocket was a cut to them or not... I don't want to gamble on what the definition of "cut" is - I'm voting for Bernie.

[me b zola]

13. Sure. She'll call it reform or just "cutting the fat"

...but ok, Hillary...whatever

[onehandle]

18. Of course not. She's a Democrat.

Has been one for decades more than five minutes.

[Cryptoad]

19. A man who has yet to present a proposal that is doable

shouldnt be casting stones

[tokenlib]

20. Strange, I still detect the stench of Pete Peterson....

Maybe if Hillary would disown Third Way..then maybe I'd find her words credible.

[Fuddnik]

32. You mean Pete Peterson, co-founder of Black Rock, where Hillary just postponed a fundraiser?

That Pete Peterson? The guy whose life's mission is to PRIVATIZE or cut Social Security. That Pete Peterson?

[fbc]

25. Yeah, I don't believe her

This is about as phony as her stance against TPP.

[bowens43]

26. hillary pledges ? Really? LOL!! Sorry hillarys pledges are worthless

most people understand that what hillarys says or 'pledges' has very little to do with what she actually does.

[HassleCat]

28. I want them both to promise no hike in the retirement age. (eom)

[Bernin]

30. But hillary is a known liar.

So I don't believe her on this or just about anything.

That's the biggest problem with your loser candidate.
The rest of the country feels the same way.

[840high]

42. I've stopped believing Hillary.

[hopemountain]

31. she is lying to get the vote from

the working class - who pay into social security and who will be dependent upon it for retirement.
then after the election - she will revert to her past stances/statements on the issues.

the scorpion wanted to cross the rushing creek. it sat on a rock waiting for the frog she spotted on the other side. sure enough the frog hopped the rocks to cross the creek waters and began feeding on fresh new delicacies.

"hello, frog" said the scorpion.
"hello, scorpion" said the frog.
"hey frog, do you think when you cross back over i can hitch a ride on your back?" asked the scorpion.
"hell no!" said the frog. "if i give you a ride you'll just sting me before we even get across!"
"no i won't!" promised the scorpion.
"yes, you will. i've seen you do it before to other frogs!" replied the frog.

at last, after more promises from the scorpion that it would not sting the frog, the frog relented and the scorpion hopped onto the frog's back.

with the scorpion on it's back, the frog hopscotched across one rock after another to get across the creek. and, just as they were about to reach the last rock - the scorpion stung the frog.
a scorpion is a scorpion is a scorpion. they do not change.

[marble falls]

33. If Hillary gets the nomination, thanks to Bernie: she'll be more progressive...

than she intended to be.

[Ruby the Liberal]

37. You think she is going to tack hard left for the General?

[marble falls]

39. Not hard. Maybe she feels she that 'liberal' damages more than 'first woman"...

helps. I don't get it. When she became "co-President" and attempted to take on national healthcare, I thought she was left. And I think the President plays it too centralist. ADA is a program that should have the conservatives jumping for joy. What she was postulating (and I think is what we need) is single payer. She's against it now. Why the change?

Then again in spite of FISA courts, deregulation of banks, the ascendancy of private corrections management corporations, the beginnings of intercepting all long distance calls and e-mail, that all began or were wildly expanded under big dog's Presidency - I kinda wish he had one more term. Those were the best times economically I ever had.

Why does the President and former SoS Clinton think we the people are a minority and that they have to cobble 'coalition' constituencies? Thats my biggest problem with her: she underestimates us.

[4dsc]

36. Simply not good enough

We need someone who going to strength SS not remain with the status quo.

[DesertRat]

43. k&r

[Rocky the Leprechaun]

44. Nothing but lip service.

She will cut SS, guaranteed, if she is President.