Trump budget plan will not cut Social Security, Medicare: Mnuchin
Source: Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump's first budget proposal will spare big social welfare programs such as Social Security and Medicare from any cuts, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in an interview broadcast on Sunday.
Mnuchin said Trump would use a major policy speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night to preview some elements of his sweeping plans to cut taxes for the middle class, simplify the tax system and make American companies more globally competitive with lower rates and changes to encourage U.S. manufacturing.
Speaking on Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures" program, Mnuchin, who has acknowledged that tax reform is his top policy priority, said the budget plan would not seek cuts to federal benefits programs known as "entitlements."
"We are not touching those now. So don't expect to see that as part of this budget, OK," Mnuchin said of the programs, according to a transcript provided by Fox. "We are very focused on other aspects and that's what's very important to us. And that's the president's priority."
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-economy-idUSKBN1650LL
Adding my comment which I forgot:
After hearing what Paul Ryan has said about Medicare and Social Security, I don't find Mnuchin's statement very reassuring. If he had said President Trump will veto any legislation that affects present and future Medicare or Social Security benefits I would feel a bit better.
Crowman2009
(2,475 posts)These fuckers are all over the place.
Cosmocat
(14,543 posts)Nm
LastLiberal in PalmSprings
(12,536 posts)We need to keep repeating this over and over.
Also, the Social Security Trust Fund is separate from the Federal Budget.
The GOPers keep framing it the other way.
murielm99
(30,655 posts)social welfare programs. Throwing around the word "welfare" is a red flag to the right wing.
cstanleytech
(26,080 posts)probably with things like drug testing at first followed by closing alot of the social security buildings across the country to make it more difficult for people to both apply for and file appeals with like what the Repugnants did in Alabama did to make it hard for black and poor voter's to get a valid ID to meet the states voter ID law.
TomCADem
(17,378 posts)...the benefits are set irrespective of what returns are earned.
Kashkakat v.2.0
(1,752 posts)RW has demonized the word, and changed it to mean unearned .... but the true meaning is the opposite. We are "entitled" to SS, medicare, workers comp etc. because we paid into it, iwe earned it, and its not something "given to" us out of the general revenue.
I think its important to remain cognizant of how they twist around the meanings of words and use them against us.
ETA - after googling/looking around at definitions I think I'll go along with your phrase "earned benefits" - the RW trashing of the word "entitlement" has been going on for so long, since reagan if not before, its prob too late to reclaim it.
Still I think its worth thinking about how words are used/misused as weapons sometimes.
Cosmocat
(14,543 posts)the weasel MFs, like the word "liberal" have worked long and hard to negatively frame it ...
FogerRox
(13,211 posts)are based on the word entitled, it appears in the original 1935 law 9 times.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)been wanting to get entirely rid of both programs for decades. All action taken will be to further those ends.
Lotusflower70
(3,077 posts)We will be targeting social security and medicare.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)When we hear the phase,we have a mandate,baby you know what happens next.
Crowman2009
(2,475 posts)not fooled
(5,791 posts)"We" = dump's Exec branch, not Congress
are not touching those "now" = at this moment. Waiting for the right moment to try.
The public will be watching.
hibbing
(10,076 posts)KewlKat
(5,624 posts)I can't watch faux.....so those with a stronger stomach that did, did he mention the above?
TheCowsCameHome
(40,161 posts)..shell has the pea under it"
"Oops, sorry, it looks like you guessed wrong m'boy- care to try your luck again?"
BeyondGeography
(39,276 posts)Something will have to give.
Liberalagogo
(1,770 posts)Emphasis on the "NOW".
Yonnie3
(17,376 posts)Now will certainly be over when trump makes his speech Tuesday evening.
FreeStateDemocrat
(2,654 posts)Vinca
(50,168 posts)Kashkakat v.2.0
(1,752 posts)defacto7
(13,485 posts)to save a few GOP votes and advance his smoke screen.
The operative words are really "for now" . For now is all that really counts in this. And "for now" really means this moment that he's saying it.. maybe till after his speech.
In essence, means nothing.
sarcasmo
(23,968 posts)pansypoo53219
(20,906 posts)mobeau69
(11,074 posts)Look out for their chained CPI proposal and raise hell.
still_one
(91,937 posts)they have been paying into these programs for decades.
I am so tired of how they try to change the connotation of the word entitlement as something bad. It isn't
People pay into an annuity, and are entitled to certain benefits. It is a contract for gosh sakes
liberal N proud
(60,298 posts)coco22
(1,258 posts)Merlot
(9,696 posts)That "now" makes it pretty obvious they will get to it, sooner or later.
jmowreader
(50,447 posts)There's a president who wants to spend money like an aircraft carrier full of drunken sailors on shore leave.
A treasury secretary who wants to drastically cut taxes.
An administration who is planning to bleed dry every non-defense program we have to pay for Trump's profligacy, not realizing that even if we stopped spending money on anything but the army there's not enough money to do what Trump wants.
And a Republican majority in both elected branches who is champing at the bit to eliminate Social Security and Medicare, held back only in the knowledge if they fucked with either Social Security or Medicare Trump would be staring down the barrel of 57 Senate Democrats, about four hundred House Democrats, and at least ten Senate Republicans who have been told in no uncertain terms, "it's either him or you."
The only realistic answer to the obvious question - "what in hell are these assholes doing?" - is simple: They are fully prepared to blow a hole in the deficit that's roughly the width of the Indian Ocean, and they're going to try to blame it on Obama.