Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, has unveiled a plan to break the deadlock over the debt ceiling. Republicans in the House of Representatives are working on their own plan. The most likely scenario is that whatever the House does, that Reid's plan will pass the Senate late this week and then go to the House of Representatives, which will either pass it or reject it. If the House rejects it, the debt ceiling probably will not be hiked in time to allow Social Security checks to go out on August 3 and all hell will break loose. Even if the House Republican plan passes in the House, which is uncertain since there probably will be no Democratic votes for it and several dozen Republicans have vowed to vote against any debt ceiling hike, it is unlikely that there would even be time for the Senate to act on the House bill even if it wanted to if even one Senator decided to filibuster. There would probably be a lot more than one who would filibuster the House plan and some of them might be Republicans.
The summary of the Reid plan does contain this language which could actually result in a higher administrative budget for Social Security: "$40 billion in Program Integrity Savings. The proposal saves $40 billion by reducing fraud and abuse in mandatory programs. This includes: Continuing Disability Reviews and SSI redeterminations ..."
The key phrase for me is the Reid plan has cuts "without affecting Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security," so at least there is something good here - although they've caved to the GOP demands for no increased revenue and cuts equal to the increase in the ceiling.
ReplyDelete"although they've caved to the GOP demands for no increased revenue and cuts equal to the increase in the ceiling."
ReplyDeleteMore like come to their senses. The government has a spending problem, not a revenue problem.
To increase revenue, the govt does not need higher taxes (like the Dems want), but closure of loopholes in the tax code and the end of unnecessary subsidies (oil&gas, ethanol, farmers, etc.)
ReplyDeleteEven if the debt ceiling isn't raised, Gov't has plenty of money to pay bondholders and issue SS checks.
ReplyDeleteTypical Dem bs and scare tactics that SS checks will not go out if debt ceilng isn't raised. Old geezers are either too stupid or uninformed to see through Dem scare tactics.
I love it when people like our "9:43" anonymous poster just claim things to be facts to support their position. The gov't has plenty of money, this person says...so it must be true. Amusing but hardly helpful to understanding the situation and its implications.
ReplyDeleteAh the mythical debt savings through increased medical CDRS !!! Any thorough study would find that either through the appeals process or new claims most cessations are promptly returned to the rolls.
ReplyDeleteI have been receiving SSDI payments for a severe disability since 1992. I receive $843 a month.If my Aug. 3rd check is not sent out, is the government going to call my landlord & utility companies to explain why I cannot pay them? Can they explain to my children why they are starving? Drop the war effort, Mr. Politicos and pay for the disabled in THIS country! Signed, Screwed if the arseholes can't compromise
ReplyDeleteYou will get your money
ReplyDelete