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eridani

(51,907 posts)
Sat Apr 6, 2013, 06:46 AM Apr 2013

Sanders to Obama: Don't Touch Social Security


http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/16809-focus-sanders-to-obama-dont-touch-social-security

ndependent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, one of Congress's most liberal members, is warning President Barack Obama not to "go back on his word" by offering to cut Social Security spending to reduce the deficit.

"Millions of working people, seniors, disabled veterans, those who have lost a loved one in combat, and women will be extremely disappointed if President Obama caves into the long standing Republican effort to cut Social Security and benefits for disabled veterans and their survivors through a so-called chained CPI," he said in a statement.

Sanders has been waging a campaign opposing the use of chained CPI, which would mean lower annual cost-of-living increases for Social Security benefits and veterans, and reduce help to the poor. Making the change would cut federal spending by roughly $130 billion over 10 years. But it would also adjust how taxes are calculated, generating about $100 billion in new revenue over the same period.

Obama will include it in his budget, to be unveiled April 10. Federal budgets are not like family budgets - they're non-binding spending roadmaps that serve chiefly as statements of political priorities and punching bags for political opponents. Even if Obama's budget passes both Houses (it won't), and he signs it into law, it's unlikely to have much impact on how Congress decides to spend federal dollars.

That's not to say that it's a wholly useless bit of theater. Washington has been at war over how best to reduce deficits and rein in the country's galloping debt. The budget says, in effect, what Obama might be willing to do to achieve those goals, which in turn puts pressure on congressional Democrats to fall in lin
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