Some Senate Dems willing to consider Social Security reforms

[sasha031]

Several Democratic senators are separating themselves from their leadership and encouraging President Obama to cut Social Security benefits by raising the retirement age in order to keep the entitlement solvent.Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Sen.Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), who caucuses with the Democrats, are all openly calling for reform, and making it plain that the party is disunited on the issue when a titanic debate over debt is gathering momentum.


If the president called for raising the Social Security retirement age by a year or two, phased in slowly over several decades, these senators say they could support him."My sons are 21 and 22; neither of them thinks Social Security is around for them. I want to make sure that it is,” said Carper, “It’s going to have to be a combination of very modest adjustments in benefits, very modest, and some frankly fairly modest changes with respect to revenues.



But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) refuses to give an inch on benefit cuts, arguing that the program has not contributed “one penny” to the debt.Obama will deliver a speech at George Washington University on Wednesday about debt reduction, and has come under heavy pressure from labor unions and liberal groups not to endorse Social Security cuts as part of his plan.He is not expected to call for a Social Security overhaul, but Democratic senators suggest that he could get bipartisan backing if he chose to do so and took the lead. The fiscal commission he appointed more than a year ago has already laid out a roadmap.
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/155675-some-senate-democrats-are-willing-to-consider-social-security-reforms

[in_cog_ni_to]

1. Where do these asshole so-called "Dems" expect a 67 year old to find work?

Please. Enough of this shit. It's almost IMPOSSIBLE for a 50+ year old to find a job with an actual living wage. Why the HELL do they think a 67 year old will fare any better? Unless they are already employed and have job security NOW...forget it.

I'm glad Reid is standing firm on this.

[NorthCarolina]

4. They are totally disconnected from reality, a life spent mingling with the elite

and have absolutely no concept of how most Americans live and survive. 70 year old coal miners? I don't think so.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

9. Ironically, in the Senate.

x(

[notesdev]

10. in China

that's where they moved all the jobs, after all.

[exboyfil]

2. Why is no one talking about removing the cap????

That alone can cover a large portion of the shortfall in the future. Folks making between about $50K-$105K are subsidizing already - why should that opportunity also not be there for those making more than $105K?

Deal with Medicaid (especially Long Term Care). That is the elephant in the room. S.S. should be a backburner issue right now.

[Better Believe It]

3. Because they support permanently reducing the FICA tax?

That will help make it insolvent. And continued direct payments into the fund out of general tax revenues will strengthen arguments that Social Security is driving up the budget deficit.

This objective is pretty transparent.

One that President Obama apparently supports.

[sasha031]

6. listening to John Kerry the other day

he said something to the effect, in racing the Fica cap. 'Why should someone making $40,000 being subsidizing a millionaire collecting SS.'

[NV Whino]

5. Why am I not surprised that DiFi is mentioned?

[xchrom]

7. ...

:mad: :mad: :mad:

[janet118]

8. Here's a couple I'd consider . . .

remove the cap on deductions - pay SS on all earnings. And here's another one, all Treasury notes held by SSA should be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States if all foreign notes are similarly honored.