Sanders backs budget deal despite defense spending concerns

[Cali_Democrat]

Source: The Hill

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Wednesday delivered a key endorsement to Congress's sweeping two-year budget deal, even though it includes major boosts in defense spending without tax increases that he has long criticized.

“This is not the budget I would have written,” Sanders wrote in a statement Wednesday. “But I will support it because it’s much better than across-the-board budget cuts, increased premiums for Medicare, cuts to Social Security and the constant threat we won’t pay our bills.”

t had been unclear whether the Democratic presidential candidate, who is running on a populist message, would support the deal that has also been embraced by most Republicans.

His statement makes clear that he does not plan to oppose the deal to boost his campaign, unlike GOP presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who was quick to condemn the deal.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/258392-sanders-backs-budget-deal-despite-defense-spending-concerns

[kelliekat44]

1. oh, oh. nt

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. Maybe he's just a politician afterall?

[Andy823]

3. This is interesting

Bernie said:

“But I will support it because it’s much better than across-the-board budget cuts, increased premiums for Medicare, cuts to Social Security and the constant threat we won’t pay our bills.”

Now just a few days ago the "anti" Obama gang was complaining about all the "cuts in SS and Medicare" that president Obama was giving away to republicans in this bill. Now Bernie says they aren't in there. Could the "anti" Obama gang have been wrong on all their hair on fire accusations, again?

Of course I will be waiting to hear their apologies which I am sure they will be issuing any time now!

[former9thward]

18. No the "anti Obama gang" as you call it were not wrong.

This bill cuts reimbursements to Medicare providers. So good luck to find Medicare providers who will provide services. But I guess you don't care about that.

[BeyondGeography]

4. Very quiet in here compared to an earlier, related thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027290539

Where is everybody?

[Fred Sanders]

6. Not to worry...as soon as there is another headline with no details the Outrage Gang will be back.

Yesterday's pathetic orgy of ObamaBashing over SS and Medicare "cuts" at DU looks even more pathetic today.

What will the nihilistic tea folk do now to threaten to ruin the nation based on Big Lies and Huge Ignorance?

[Triana]

7. What about these specifics? Are they in the bill?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027296128

[BeyondGeography]

10. I guess Bernie fell hard for the "Korporate Obama" line on this whole deal

Aides said that the Social Security Disability Insurance program would be amended, in part to tighten and standardize eligibility requirements that now vary by state. That change was projected to save the government $5 billion.

In addition, the accord calls for eliminating a provision of the Affordable Care Act, not yet in force, that would require businesses with more than 200 employees to automatically enroll their workers for health insurance.

The emerging deal would also reallocate funds among Social Security program trust funds to ensure solvency of the disability insurance program. Such reallocations have occurred regularly over the decades but Republicans had opposed any new reallocation without changes to reduce costs of the program.

The prospective agreement would also prevent expected increases in out-of-pocket costs for millions of Medicare Part B beneficiaries. The increases would have been caused by the rare absence of a cost-of-living increase in Social Security for some beneficiaries, because of unusually low inflation.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/27/us/politics/congress-and-white-house-near-deal-on-budget.html?_r=0

[Fred Sanders]

11. Socialist Sanders supports it and so does Obama and the Democratic Party...what is there to debate?

Sometimes I get the feeling a lot of Sanders fans are fans just for the chance to just get outraged daily because the Workers Paradise is not yet here, and to get one last chance to rail against "The Man"...circa the '60's.

It ain't the '60's.

[BeyondGeography]

12. And Cruz is calling it a complete and utter surrender

Nothing to debate/discuss other than why half of this board is so determined to think the worst of this President.

[bluestateguy]

5. It's an acceptable budget

And the people who said it "cut" Social Security and Medicare, jumped to conclusions before having the facts; or their definition of a "cut" is a very loose one.

[Triana]

8. If this is in there (not sure it is?) - it's a cut. Mostly to women.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/making-sense/houses-proposed-budget-bill-will-devastating-effects-millions-social-security-benefits/

[bluestateguy]

9. Take it up with Bernie Sanders

First I've heard of that.

[onenote]

15. Kotlikoff neglects to mention one fact

The file and suspend option that the deal does away with was only created in 2000. It's not as if most people qualifying for Social Security were paying in to the system with the idea of being able to use this.

Interestingly, my wife recently attended a retirement planning seminar and heard all about file and suspend (which was described as a "loophole&quot . It would work for us and I suppose I'm sorry it won't be available to us. But it's not as if I've been counting on it.

[Triana]

17. Worse than that is what it does to married working women and divorcees.

And according to the article, it cuts these benefits or will make them unworkable to those using them now. Anyone currently relying on SS money using this "loophole" or any woman relying on having HER own SS benefits available upon her retirement may not get them - even if she paid into the system while working, if her share of her husband's is more than hers (likely in a lot of cases I'd think).

So it's not just the loophole, it's also a change in the benefits working married women or divorcees get when they retire. It seems like it screws women worse than they already are screwed with Soc Security.

Not surprising considering how much Republicans despise women - esp working women and unmarried/divorced women.

[Sunlei]

13. WoW, we will have a Thankgiving without the threats of a gov. shutdown. It's been years :P

we got rid of the Orangeman and that DID clean the barn.

[bvf]

14. And of course, Clinton will

be free to say any focus group-approved thing her handlers put in front of her, and her supporters will eat it up as always.

[Cali_Democrat]

16. Every Dem in the House supported it.

Why would she oppose this?

[former9thward]

19. Maybe because it cuts reimbursements to Medicare providers.

But since that is not a factor in her life she does not care.

[burrowowl]

21. K&R