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Democratic Primaries
Showing Original Post only (View all)Biden wanted to freeze the federal budget. That equates to cutting SS and Medicare benefits. [View all]
I found an article discussing a hypothetical 3-year budget freeze and what that would mean to various government programs. Here's how freezing the budget would affect Social Security and Medicare. (EDIT: Someone already pointed out that Ben Carson is mentioned in the article. That's not the important part folks, ignore it.)
https://www.crfb.org/blogs/3-year-spending-freeze-would-balance-budget
Social Security (24 percent of the 2018 budget): Social Security spending is projected to grow by $130 billion over the next three years due to more people becoming eligible for the program and benefits growing over time to keep up with wage growth and inflation. Avoiding this increase altogether would require cutting all benefits by 12 percent, and it would be impossible to freeze spending if current beneficiaries were exempted from cuts. No Social Security plan past or present has proposed a cut of close to 12 percent for all beneficiaries that quickly.
Medicare (14 percent of the 2018 budget): Spending on Medicare programs is expected to increase by $51 billion between now and 2018 as retiring baby boomers continue to enroll in Medicare and as health care costs increase.
Medicare (14 percent of the 2018 budget): Spending on Medicare programs is expected to increase by $51 billion between now and 2018 as retiring baby boomers continue to enroll in Medicare and as health care costs increase.
Considering the budgets for Social Security and Medicare generally increase every year through cost of living increases and more people becoming enrolled, freezing their budgets would mean reducing benefits paid out by $130 billion and $51 billion over 3 years respectively for Social Security and Medicare.
Joe Biden has tried to freeze the federal budget at least four times. That is four times he has tried to cut Social Security and Medicare.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4843746/user-clip-biden-freezing-social-security
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primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
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Biden wanted to freeze the federal budget. That equates to cutting SS and Medicare benefits. [View all]
HerbChestnut
Jan 2020
OP
And it's a damn good thing that never happened, despite Joe's best efforts.
HerbChestnut
Jan 2020
#12
I wonder if Sanders is proud of his campaign...I expect this will backfire...and Biden will be up
Demsrule86
Jan 2020
#27
Ted Kennedy had 89% so...who cares...and it is a lie when you change the meaning of a video...but
Demsrule86
Jan 2020
#37
They created a lie by doctoring the video...cut parts of it...liars (Sirota) gotta lie...I guess...
Demsrule86
Jan 2020
#60
That information is currently freely available, if one really wants to know. nt
fleabiscuit
Jan 2020
#18
You don't have to hope...could actually look up their positions rather ...spoiler, no one does...
Demsrule86
Jan 2020
#38
Pretty much...if we can weather this toss Trump out...Sanders won't be running again so this is
Demsrule86
Jan 2020
#28
The video linked in the OP shows Biden specifically mentioning Social Security...
HerbChestnut
Jan 2020
#13
True, just like stealin Bernie's progressive policy positions...rather have Bern, the true original!
InAbLuEsTaTe
Jan 2020
#51
Frozen does not seem to equal cut. My government pension was frozen. Different from cut.
33taw
Jan 2020
#34
Right, the doctored video...the one that is a pack of lies...put out by Sirota...yeah that one.
Demsrule86
Jan 2020
#39
Just freezing the entire budget is not smart. No idea why anyone would get behind this.
redqueen
Jan 2020
#24
Everyone had to pretend to be open to the idea...we were even further to the right than now.
Demsrule86
Jan 2020
#29
The Politifact article was about something Biden said that was taken completely out of context
lapucelle
Jan 2020
#44
I never noticed that...guess I gave the Sanders campaign to much credit...wasn't looking for
Demsrule86
Jan 2020
#42
No wonder Joe Biden is concerned that the BS campaign is "doctoring videos". N/T
lapucelle
Jan 2020
#45
I see it differently but agree about the huge hair. I'm willing to work for whoever our nominee is
jalan48
Jan 2020
#67
F'ing Ohio set the primary date for March 17th ...St. Patrick's day...this will cause all sorts of
Demsrule86
Jan 2020
#43
We do...every vote. Ohio is a state that has open primaries so the right will be voting for Sanders
Demsrule86
Jan 2020
#53
This crap only makes Democrats more convinced that Sanders must never be the nominee.
The Valley Below
Jan 2020
#63