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appalachiablue

(41,047 posts)
Fri Aug 7, 2020, 04:22 AM Aug 2020

Retirees To 'Fight Plan To Gut Social Security'; Trump Announces Exec. Order To Suspend Payroll Tax

- "Retirees Vow to 'Fight This Attempt to Gut Social Security' - as Trump Announces Executive Order to Suspend Payroll Tax." "President Trump just betrayed seniors, ordering cuts in Social Security funding because Congress wouldn't go along with his payroll tax cut scheme." By Jake Johnson, staff writer, Common Dreams, Aug. 6, 2020.

An advocacy group representing more than four million American retirees warned Thursday that President Donald Trump took a dangerous step toward "single-handedly" dismantling Social Security by announcing he plans to sign an executive order suspending collection of the payroll tax as early as Friday afternoon. With congressional negotiations over the next Covid-19 stimulus package still at an impasse, Trump told reporters Thursday that executive orders to suspend the payroll tax, extend boosted unemployment benefits, and reestablish an expired eviction moratorium are "being drawn now" despite questions over whether the president has the authority to unilaterally take any of those actions.

~ "Older Americans have earned their benefits through a lifetime of work. Their retirement security should not be put at risk because President Trump is mad at Congress for not bending to his will." —Richard Fiesta, Alliance for Retired Americans ~

Trump said he expects to sign the orders "tomorrow afternoon or maybe the following morning" if White House negotiators and Democratic leaders don't reach a deal. Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress have rejected the idea of cutting the payroll tax, the primary funding mechanism for Social Security. Richard Fiesta, executive director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, said in a statement that "after learning that Democratic and Republican congressional leaders would not go along with his harebrained scheme to cut Social Security's dedicated funding source, President Trump lashed out and announced he would begin dismantling the system single-handedly."

"Seniors pay for their housing, food, and medicine with their Social Security, putting $1 trillion into our economy every year," said Fiesta. "Older Americans have earned their benefits through a lifetime of work. Their retirement security should not be put at risk because President Trump is mad at Congress for not bending to his will." The group's 4.4 million members, he vowed, "will fight this attempt to gut Social Security." Progressive advocacy group Social Security Works tweeted Thursday that suspending collection of the payroll tax is "defunding of Social Security, as a first step to cutting our earned benefits." "And doing so by executive order is unconstitutional," the group said.

More + Comments, https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/08/06/retirees-vow-fight-attempt-gut-social-security-trump-announces-executive-order

Social Security Works, Website, https://socialsecurityworks.org/



- Trump Considering Term-Limited Suspension Of Payroll Tax As Part Of Coronavirus Relief. Aug, 5, 2020. NBC News.
20 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Retirees To 'Fight Plan To Gut Social Security'; Trump Announces Exec. Order To Suspend Payroll Tax (Original Post) appalachiablue Aug 2020 OP
K&R! SheltieLover Aug 2020 #1
He just lost Florida duforsure Aug 2020 #2
+1 appalachiablue Aug 2020 #3
Don't count on it Sherman A1 Aug 2020 #9
Exactly. Don't count on Florida being lost. Quemado Aug 2020 #20
At this point he may as well declare Martial Law... AZ8theist Aug 2020 #4
+1 appalachiablue Aug 2020 #6
He's doing this because... diverdownjt Aug 2020 #5
it may be a leverage ploy. SleeplessinSoCal Aug 2020 #17
We need to hammer Trump on SS DIVINEprividence Aug 2020 #7
"Suspending a tax" sounds good to the low information folks luv2fly Aug 2020 #12
+1 pandr32 Aug 2020 #15
media keeps referencing payroll tax cut without sayin it's SS. SleeplessinSoCal Aug 2020 #18
they don't say SS. They repeat his hidden agenda. n/t SleeplessinSoCal Aug 2020 #19
K&R Sherman A1 Aug 2020 #8
This is his idiotic strategy gab13by13 Aug 2020 #10
Will those seniors brainwashed by Fox News get the connection? LiberalBrooke Aug 2020 #11
Take away the Emperor's Sharpie. Grokenstein Aug 2020 #13
So far he's pissed off the seniors (social security) and the youngsters (Tik Tok). LastLiberal in PalmSprings Aug 2020 #14
What Trump calls his "gut instinct" is actually . . . LaMouffette Aug 2020 #16

Quemado

(1,262 posts)
20. Exactly. Don't count on Florida being lost.
Fri Aug 7, 2020, 10:05 AM
Aug 2020

Many voters do not vote their pocketbook. Instead, they are "culture voters".

Also, a payroll tax cut won't immediately affect Social Security payments. If there is an effect, it probably won't happen for several years.

The only way I can see elderly voters turning on Trump on a payroll tax cut is if and when it affects them significantly in their benefit amounts.

AZ8theist

(5,335 posts)
4. At this point he may as well declare Martial Law...
Fri Aug 7, 2020, 05:57 AM
Aug 2020

Defunding (and destroying) Social Security and Medicare is a suicide campaign strategy.

Hard to believe he's that stupid unless dictatorship is his only option left.

SleeplessinSoCal

(8,992 posts)
17. it may be a leverage ploy.
Fri Aug 7, 2020, 07:19 AM
Aug 2020

Sounds like he has no legit leverage so he goes straight for the third rail in politics. But is he bluffing?

luv2fly

(2,475 posts)
12. "Suspending a tax" sounds good to the low information folks
Fri Aug 7, 2020, 06:54 AM
Aug 2020

I suspect this is why we don't see more outrage. Suspending a tax sounds good to people, not realizing that tax funds their future. Most younger folks I know nowadays have no expectation of ever seeing any social security. That has to change, so they understand the value.

gab13by13

(20,850 posts)
10. This is his idiotic strategy
Fri Aug 7, 2020, 06:46 AM
Aug 2020

that he thinks will force Democrats to really give him what he wants in the bill. Trump's #1 priority is the provision that allows companies to kill its employees without being sued. This provision is good until 2024. Trump's #1 talking point is the economy, I bet money he has ads that are waiting to run. He wants companies up and running without any worries about being sued. JMO.

LiberalBrooke

(527 posts)
11. Will those seniors brainwashed by Fox News get the connection?
Fri Aug 7, 2020, 06:47 AM
Aug 2020

They rely on Social Security but keep voting for the rethugs who promise to get rid of their lifelines of Social Security and Medicare. It does not make sense to me

Grokenstein

(5,707 posts)
13. Take away the Emperor's Sharpie.
Fri Aug 7, 2020, 06:54 AM
Aug 2020

I remember when everyone was pissing and moaning because they thought Obama signed too many executive orders...

14. So far he's pissed off the seniors (social security) and the youngsters (Tik Tok).
Fri Aug 7, 2020, 07:05 AM
Aug 2020

He's getting us used to running things as a dictator so we won't question it when he cancels the elections. If he tries to do that there will need to be a nation wide protest. We will literally be fighting for our lives, and those of our children.

Nobody has even mentioned that he moved the deadline for the Census up so he'll get to assign how many representatives each state will get. And he'll get to do this even if he loses the election. His lame duck period will be catastrophic for the U.S. and the rest of the world. Except for Putin, of course.

LaMouffette

(2,009 posts)
16. What Trump calls his "gut instinct" is actually . . .
Fri Aug 7, 2020, 07:17 AM
Aug 2020

his "lizard brain." And right now, his lizard brain, the most primitive "Fire bad!" part of his subconscious, is telling Donald to flee from the excruciating pain of being exposed for the stupid, incompetent, depraved, soulless, gutless, racist, woman-hating loser that he is. Like others have said on DU, he's trying to lose the election. He's sick and tired of having to pretend to do the job of being president. He wants to go back to being all troll, no responsibility. Just like someone who commits suicide by waving a gun at a SWAT team, Donald Trump does not have the personal integrity to resign and end his own political life. The coward wants voters to do it for him so that for the rest of his annoying life he can whine that the election was rigged and that he actually received more votes than were cast for any presidential candidate in the history of any country in the history of the world.

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