It's now becoming mainstream for Republican presidential candidates to express a desire to cut Social Security. House Republicans seem determined to try to cut Social Security disability benefits, perhaps dramatically. Meanwhile, even though Hilary Clinton has yet to announce a position, it's become mainstream for Democrats to embrace expanding Social Security.
7 comments:
The Republicans apparently figure that people with disabilities and their families are votes not worth going after. It would be interesting to track Republican support amongst that group in polls as they publicize their desire to cut disability benefits.
If they do cut SSDI, then all of the friends and relatives of those on SSDI will be upset, and all of those on SS Retirement will start to worry that they are next, and also all of their friends and relatives will be upset (at the Republicans).....It will start a chain reaction that will be political suicide. AND as I have mentioned before the US Government owes the SS trust funds about 3 trillion dollars.
Charles please. Republican primary season is peak crazy time. This is by far one of the saner things they discuss, and it still won't be an issue in 6 months from now. Remember 7-7-7?
How typical of the Republicans to propose saving relatively insignificant amounts of money by ruining the lives of the millions of us who are totally disabled and just barely survive as it is on our meagre SSDI benefits, which are already among the lowest in the developed world. Take away 20% and rent alone will eat up the entire benefit! Meanwhile these same vindictive Congresspersons somehow always come up with plenty of cash for more [literally] trillion dollar wars! I know that I will work as actively as I can with my severe disability to make sure that none of these "punish the least likely to be able to defend themselves" monsters gets re-elected in my city, county or state!!
I think a lot of beneficiaries, especially the younger ones on SSI, don't vote. When things are stuck at payment center and we suggest they contact their congressional rep, most people don't even know who they are.
Most people on SSDI are over 50. Most are white, most are white, and most are married. Most were working/middle class and above, because they earned the work credits needed to qualify. Republicans are alienating their own base. Unfortunately, they are really good at it: lots of people on SSDI believe that sure, they and people like them should be getting benefits, but then
a) there are lots of "fraudsters" who aren't disabled
b) if we just took the fraudsters off, the program would be solvent indefinitely.
It's pretty hard to convince them that both are false.
@7:16
You are correct of course. The Republican candidates have to say crazy stuff to get the hardline conservative support in the primary, and the one who gets though rushes to the center for the general election.
You have to admit the irony of that in this forum however. If a disability claimant says one thing, and then says something very different on the same issue they are found not credible and will likely lose their claim. If a politician does the same thing they are....perhaps the next President of the United States?
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