Trump re-ups demand that Social Security be destroyed in next COVID-19 relief bill

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Donald Trump has returned to his fixation of a payroll tax cut for employees as part of the federal response to coronavirus, despite the fact that it can't be any kind of stimulus when there are at a minimum 36.4 million people in the U.S. who aren't getting a paycheck to have pay payroll taxes not withheld from. What a payroll tax holiday would do is harm Social Security and Medicare since those taxes are dedicated revenue for those programs, and benefit the rich.

"As he has done since the beginning of this pandemic, President Trump wants to provide relief to hardworking Americans who have been impacted by this virus and one way of doing that is with a payroll tax holiday," White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement. "He's called on Congress to pass this before and he believes it must be part of any phase four package." Which is entirely bullshit. With unemployment this high and with the coronavirus pandemic still raging, a payroll tax cut will do very little to help anything, particularly stimulating the economy—what will keep everyone afloat is keeping the $600/week unemployment boost as well as another round of direct payments to everyone.

A payroll tax cut said in response to Trump's renewed demand. "Congress must not give into Trump's hostage-taking. Every Senator and Representative needs to call Trump’s bluff and work together to quickly send a COVID relief bill to Trump's desk—without including any cuts to Social Security's dedicated revenue."

Trump's ploy here could not be more transparent. Even Senate Republicans have been cool to the idea of a payroll tax cut for this economic disaster because they know it wouldn't do a damned bit of good and is bad politics. This is ALL about hurting Social Security, something Trump promised he wouldn't do. That's just another one of Trump's 20,000+ lies.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/7/17/1961513/-Trump-re-ups-demand-that-Social-Security-be-destroyed-in-next-COVID-19-relief-bill?detail=emaildkre

[beachbumbob]

1. democratic house will never agree

[MiniMe]

2. And it would benefit the corporations and businesses because they wouldn't have to pay their share

of the taxes either. Why is he so stuck on this horrible idea?

[docgee]

4. I wouldn't be opposed to dropping the payroll tax for anyone

making less than $80k (arbitrary number) and raising the rate for the rest of us to make up the difference.

I'd actually like to see the repuke Senate screw themselves and vote against it too.

[sakabatou]

5. Putin must be grinning

[elias7]

6. Oh, come on! It can't be just Dems who receive and rely on SS. WTF?

[Mariana]

7. There's no demand to cut benefits.

They want to cut the payroll tax. Republican SS recipients know their benefits are safe, it's future recipients who will get fucked over. Republican SS recipients think that's just wonderful. If anything it will make them more likely to vote for Trump.