Hatch to Carper – The “bipartisan cover” hotline is ringing
This makes me sick with anticipation.
...Sen. Hatch referenced obliquely in his comments today on Capitol Hill.
“…there will be many Republicans who will be wary or possibly unwilling to move on phasing out Medicare unless they have at least token bipartisan cover provided by Democrats.”
If it’s only Republicans, I think they will have a hard time keeping their caucuses in line to take the plunge. If they can bring over a few Democrats though, they’ll feel much more confident about it. That’s the Democrats key strength here.
Calling Senator “Bipartisan Cover!” Carper’s unwillingness to speak out against Ryan’s plan to phase out medicare kinda makes sense now, doesn’t it?
The bonus kicker to all of this is that Hatch is very open about the fact that Medicare phase-out is going to be “needed” to cover the giant deficits that are going to be created by the Trump/GOP budget. Brilliant! Just the kind of excuse Senator Bipartisan Cover can get behind.
“I think we’re going to have to do that (phase out medicare). We’re going to have to make it better,” Hatch said. “So it will take care of people because the current system is not working.”
When asked if entitlement reforms were going to be necessary to accomplish the Trump agenda, Hatch said, “I think that is probably the understatement.”
https://www.facebook.com/tomcarper/photos/pcb.1360746113936220/1360745730602925/?type=3&theater
Seems like he’s focused on the right things.
Carper has been itching to cut Social Security and Medicare for years now. Carper was almost in tears at the fact “entitlement reform” was not included in the 2013 fiscal cliff deal. Here’s Carper in 2013 explaining his vote:
http://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=15746924-35cf-4190-8b49-97dbece2cb0f
If we don’t reform entitlements when we clearly don’t have enough workers paying into the system, , there won’t even be any down the road. Its time to get real. These systems like social security were actuarily based on folks living to 65, not 85 or 90.
Whoa, Chris. Weren’t you a Bernie supporter? Did you miss the entire point of his message?
..also… Chris, don’t be a sucker.
Any “reform” of “entitlements” that doesn’t start with raising the income caps and taxing all income, not just wages, is nothing but naked attempt to eliminate the programs in order to pay for tax cuts. Hatch comes right out and says as much.
True, Jason. We get a big raise every year – once we tap out on our Social Security obligations. Raise the cap – and have people like me pay into SS all year.
“These systems like social security were actuarily based on folks living to 65, not 85 or 90.”
A zombie lie:
https://www.ssa.gov/history/lifeexpect.html
Life expectancy was lower they because infant mortality was so high. But if you made it to age 65, in 1940 you could expect to live another 12 – 14 years.
Agree with Bernie with stopping all the corporate welfare/ giveaways and the repeal Citizens united stuff ! But we really need to get a handle on entitlements. It does become a runaway train at some point.
“But we really need to get a handle on entitlements. It does become a runaway train at some point.”
Agreed. We need entitlement funding reform.
Yeah, Chris, why don’t you take a flying fuck at a rolling donut? This is not the site for you.
Chris is right. Our current entitlement programs are unsustainable in their current form. As more and more Baby Boomers retire, it will only get worse. I don’t agree with Paul Ryan’s plan but at least they and Carper are acknowledging the problem. Liberals seem content just letting it balloon our deficits instead of reforming it.
Amen Alex!
You’re both fucking morons. The only reason they’re “unsustainable” is that rich people won’t pay their share. If you had enough brains to do any research, you’d learn what morons you are.
Why don’t you start a blog for morons, Chris? You seem like a natural.
Wow! Who knew that baby boomers never died.
Chris, how the hell were you a Bernie supporter? You didn’t listen to a word he said.
It’s simple. He’s a typically lazy white guy who can’t be bothered doing even the slightest bit of self-education.
Here are the facts. Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security made up 70% of federal spending last year and growing. The Baby Boomers are largest generation we’ve ever faced and our entitlement programs must evolve to meet the growing need or they will collapse all while increasing our debt share of GDP. So tell me folks, what’s your plan to fix these programs? For real, not just taxes on Wall Street and the top 1%.
Well that was fun, but now back to one trusting Carper as far as we can throw Bonini. I had expected the usual game plan, big tax cuts followed by astounding deficits and hysterical calls that “we must do something!!!”. That something being the destruction of Medicare and Social Security. Seems they’ve jumped the gun and actually think this will sell with Trump voters and rational people alike, incredibly bad move. But ’tis the season for political insanity…… What we need is the elimination of the cap on deductions, question is how to get thru to Carper.
@Alex: No link, I see, because you’re spouting bullshit. Each makes up about 20% of the federal budget — 20% SS (decidated tax; raising cap on tax fixes for 50 years) Another 20% for Medicare and Medicaid together. Now you’ve proved your an ignorant fuckstick.
http://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/policy-basics-where-do-our-federal-tax-dollars-go
An almost negligible financial transaction tax would, it is estimated, raise $750 billion per year. The low-end estimate is $300 billion. So, despite your stupidity, it, too, is an obvious option, or would be if the rich weren’t universally opposed to it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_transaction_tax#cite_note-100
Alex: No link, I see, because you’re spouting bullshit.
Now you’ve proved your an ignorant fuckstick.
Has Jason330 taken over “anonymous'” account?
No, it’s still me. Channeling Jason, maybe. It’s just that, after last Tuesday, I’m finding it extremely difficult to humor the ignorant fuckstick demographic.
How is it “fucking stupid” to say that entitlements can’t be paid for at the rate they are being given? How can you pin it all on the rich- entitlements are just that- you are supposed to get what you pay for, meaning that you pay into Medicare and social security with ever dollar you make in payroll. Ideally, you are supposed to get a payout at the end based off of what you have contributed. How can you say the rich don’t pay their fair share when we all pay into the the system. For one, if I pay for 30 years, I expect to get my “entitlement” when I retire or if I need medical care. If you do t pay into the system, then you aren’t entitled to squat.
Your idea of entitlements is pretty stupid, moronic even. What sort of contribution have kids on Medicaid been making?
Entitlements are expenditures that government programs guarantee by law. No more, no less.
And did you know that you only pay for Social Security on earned income and not on things like investment income? That’s why people like Trump or Romney or Warren Buffett can pay less into Social Security and other programs than you. We want to make sure that they can’t do that. And guess what? It’s better for them to fully fund these programs because the recipients are consumers and the economy runs on consumer spending (not corporate cash hoarding).
I’m stunned by how people like Moron don’t have a basic knowledge of how “entitlements” work. But hey, self awareness points for his blogging handle.
“I’m stunned by how people like Moron don’t have a basic knowledge of how “entitlements” work.”
I’m not.
Me either. We are dealing with the result of 20+ years of brainwashing. Repeat this nonsense over and over again — as if the rich have never paid higher tax rates and never should again — and people like Moron start not just to believe it, but to internalize it as an article of faith.
A sweet deal for the wealthiest Americans. They literally get “offshore tax haven” rates while nitwits and broke ass losers do all the heavy lifting.
If I suck up to the billionaire class and offer to eat cat food and forgo any livable Social Security check so they can get more tax cuts, will I get rich too?