Is Bernie voting yes on cutting SS and Medicare?

[JaneyVee]

This article is very vague, but says "changes to SS and Medicare". I heard a report on NPR stating the debt ceiling bill includes cuts to SS and Medicare. Then on twitter Bernie said he's backing the bill. Just got home, haven't done much research. Anyone know what's in it?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2015/10/28/house-republican-leaders-push-for-floor-vote-on-budget-despite-conservative-objections/

[Ed Suspicious]

1. I'm sure he will. He's such a lying liar-pants.

[merrily]

28. You rec'd this?

[Ed Suspicious]

29. Mistake. Been doing du on my phone. Must have

fatfingered it. Trust me. I find it repugnant.

[merrily]

30. It is your prerogative, of course. I was simply surprised.

[Ed Suspicious]

31. Me too.

[merrily]

32. LOL!

[emulatorloo]

2. Hi Janey the whole "cuts" thing seems very vague in news reporting.

Republicans appear to be very pissed about the deal, whining that social programs weren't cut.

[JaneyVee]

5. Yeah, I'm hearing somewhat conflicting stories.

Would be great if it was made public soon.

[emulatorloo]

10. See Beyond Geography on the the bill requiring medical exams prior to being OK'd for

disability payments. I now remember reading that in an article posted on DU yesterday.

[Samantha]

20. It is very complicated and somewhat anal

I believe this is essentially correct:

Some of the current Social Security FICA monies currently being collected from payrolls will be diverted to support the disability program, which is really in dire need of funding. So in a way one might call this a cut to Social Security, but the money is going to the Social Security Disability program so not too many people are opposed to that.

The Medicare portion is so complicated I am not sure I should even attempt it. If a person is signed up in 2015, nothing should change. If a person becomes eligible up in 2016, their deduction might go up, especially if one is wealthy. I believe 30% of people signing up in 2016 will see an increase up to about $147 monthly. I am referring to Medicare Part B.

There is also a change coming which would positively impact a person's ability to earn money over $15,000 if he or she is on Social Security without the additional tax penalty. I believe the new number is something like $45,000 as opposed to $15,000.

There is a lot more detail to this but it was painful to me to try to pull the above out. It probably needs refinement.

I also saw health premiums are going to rise significantly because there is a great need to purchase sophisticated equipment. This especially will impact people signing up on the Affordable Care Act, but it is also one of the reasons Medicare costs will increase.

Sam

[merrily]

33. There were cuts.

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

[mcar]

3. He's voting for the budget bill

According to some on DU that's cutting SS and Medicare as the evil Obama has always wanted to do (twirl mustache).

So I guess he is. Plus he said on Rachel he wouldn't support it. So does that mean he's a flip flopper? This is all so confusing.

[Samantha]

21. He said that before the details were released

and it is not the provocative cuts people have been led to believe.

Sam

[mcar]

37. So he decides on things before he knows the details?

That doesn't seem like a sound practice.

[BeyondGeography]

4. He's voting to make medical exams a prerequisite for SS disability claims

in all 50 states (currently the rule in 30 states) which would save an estimated $5 billion a year. This earned Obama a "throwing sick people under the bus" award from many here yesterday.

[merrily]

34. Why is "cuts" hard to understand? It's not only the medical exam.

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

[BeyondGeography]

40. Don't tell me, tell Bernie

He's supporting it (although your link tells us nothing about specific cuts). Or maybe Obama cut the best possible deal and there's really not much to complain about.

[merrily]

46. Me tell Bernie? LOL! He's way ahead of any DUers. But you might see Reply 26.

[livetohike]

6. I read that the SS cuts affect the way benefits are paid to a divorced spouse.

I don't remember where I read it, so I have no link.

[Bluenorthwest]

52. Ended a 15 year old provison some call a loophole called 'file and suspend' in which one files

thus triggering higher payments to some spouses, but suspends payment thus allowing their own future rate of pay at retirement to keep rising.

[livetohike]

54. That's it! Thanks n/t

[Kalidurga]

7. When you finish your research please bring a link to show Bernie's name mentioned

That link shows us nothing about Bernie supporting anything not even kicking puppies. I went to twitter and went back well over a week nothing there either. So, I would need something to show Bernie is backing this bill other than your word.

[artislife]

23. It wouldn't be as fun for the Op writer.

No, no...it would be very boring indeed.

[RandySF]

8. It will be ok if Bernie votes for it.

[merrily]

35. See Reply 26. Thanks.

[Armstead]

9. I suppose he should pull a Ted Cruze and shut down the government

That'd go over real big

[TheKentuckian]

12. I tend to be against allowing this constant hostage taking/rule by fake crisis bullshit

Ever since Obama was elected they have gone to this well over and over and we have knuckle under every time.

I've got no more patience for it.

[Armstead]

13. I forgot the sarcasm tag I guess

[TheKentuckian]

15. I don't know if one was required. It wouldn't be an unreasonable position. Reasonable just doesn't

seem overly effective or beneficial, more like slow motion suicide to my eyes.

[Scootaloo]

11. So wait.

You pre-emptively accuse Sanders of something. Then you ask US what's in the bull you're attacking him over. Even though nothing you give is substantive about anything.

Does that sound about right, JaneyVee?

[artislife]

24. Called it!! nt

[jfern]

27. LOL!

[Agnosticsherbet]

14. I have not seen that it city Social Security

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/social-security-advocates-shrug-budget-deal_562fee63e4b0c66bae59fd2c?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592 

The last-minute agreement spares 11 million Social Security disability beneficiaries from a 20 percent benefits cut by at the end of 2016 by transferring revenue from the more flush retirement and survivors insurance trust fund. It prevents Medicare Part B premiums from rising 52 percent for many beneficiaries. And it averts a government shutdown and lifts the debt ceiling until March 2017. 

[840high]

16. You couldn't wait till you got

more info.?

[charlyvi]

17. Only so called "cut" to SS I read about

was requiring that a person have medical documentation of disability before they can file for it. You'd be shocked at the number of people who file that don't have any. Also, I read that the extreme hike in Medicare Part B premiums for 2016 was fixed.

[JaneyVee]

19. Oh it was SS disability?

[Krytan11c]

22. That's some strong spin right there

I'm getting dizzy

[merrily]

36. Requiring a medical exam is not a cut, but there are cuts.

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

[charlyvi]

44. It is a cut in the sense that it will cost SSA less in processing disability claims.

They won't have to send as many applicants to a physician to get medical evidence. Also, it will cut down on the number of applicants, thereby saving the disability trust fund some money. It is a reduction in spending on the program, which the Times article is talking about.

[merrily]

45. People receiving SSDI have already submitted their medical records. It's not as though they just

claim to be disabled and start collecting. Hospital records, doctors' records, doctors' statement that the patient is disabled--all have already gone to the SSA before anyone collects dollar one.

But again, that is not a cut. There are to be cuts.

[Bluenorthwest]

53. No cuts to benefits. You keep saying 'there are to be cuts' but the law has been made and no cuts

to benefits.

[merrily]

57. PBS says otherwise.

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

[Hiraeth]

18. I'll take gossip for 200, Alec. Thanks!

[artislife]

25. *chortle nt

[merrily]

26. Sanders is just an evil, evil dickens, he is.

Either he votes for the deal someone else negotiated or he votes, in effect, to shut down the government.

Either way, gotcha, Sanders, you evil dickens, you!

[Vinca]

38. LOL - he's a bad, bad man who wants your Grandma to die a slow, agonizing death.

And why should disabled people have money for food anyway?

[randome]

39. I believe the OP is a counterpoint to the 'Obama sold us out!' instant meme that some try to push.

If Obama really sold us out, then obviously Sanders did, too. But I doubt either of them would sell us out so I think the truth is that the 'cuts' to SS and Medicare are largely illusory.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Don't ever underestimate the long-term effects of a good night's sleep.[/center][/font][hr]

[BumRushDaShow]

47. Exactly

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017303936
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027289959

That 2nd link got 89 recs.

[Andy823]

49. You are right

They can't call Bernie a hero, and Obama a sellout for supporting the same bill, or can they?

Like you I don't they either one sold us out, but the hypocrisy going on over this issue is getting ridiculous.

[Andy823]

50. So that would mean

President Obama is not really the "bad" guy who is "throwing Medicare and SSD under the bus, he is simply doing his job so the government does not shut down, and all those who make the claim he is "throwing Medicare and SSD under the bus, don't really have a clue about what they are talking about.

[merrily]

56. That's not what my post said at all. But, you knew that.

[EndElectoral]

41. 8 million new social security members will avoid astronomical medicare prem increases with this bill

One of which is my wife.

Is there bad and good in the bill? Of course. Soc Sec Disability has stricter requirements for getting it for example, but EVERY Democratic member of the house voted for this bill and 79 Repubs crossed the aisle to vote for it.

Rand Paul wants to filibuster it. That should tell you something.

[tweetybird]

42. Here is the part about spousal benefits

Here is the part about spousal benefits. It almost sounds as if it effect all of Social Security spousal benefits. I am not sure if I did the link right forgive me I am new at this.


Section 831 of the House’s new budget bill would make radical changes to the way Social Security provides spousal and retirement benefits.

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

[Bluenorthwest]

55. The provision being ended 'file and suspend' has only existed since 2000, the bill as passed does

not suspend payments currently being made and does not even close the provision for another 6 months so in 6 months they will close a loophole to new filers which has only existed since 2000. It's not radical, it's not even close to having to do with all spousal benefits and the article you link to about proposals for the bill, not about the bill as it passed.
More current information:
http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-social-security-medicare-20151027-column.html

[AgingAmerican]

43. lol

nt

[Andy823]

48. Obama is throwing Medicare and SSD under the bus.

At least according to this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027290539

So I guess Bernie must also be throwing Medicare and SSD under the bus, right? I mean the posters on that thread are pretty sure it's a bad deal, and Obama is once again the "bad" guy because he said he would sign the bill. So what does that make Bernie for voting for it?

[Politicalboi]

51. It's a trap!

Bernie supporters shouldn't even play this game. Let the Hillary people fight among themselves. We should just let them keep shouting, and don't respond to any desperate attempts they make