Franken: "The deal does protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries"

[UrbScotty]

http://franken.senate.gov/?p=hot_topic&id=1679

“As I have said all along, the consequences of failing to raise the debt ceiling and defaulting on our debt would be disastrous to all Minnesotans. Unfortunately, in a game of chicken, the player most concerned about protecting the full faith and credit of the United States is put in the most difficult position.

“As a result, the deal that has been struck is not balanced, as I would have preferred. It does achieve the laudable goal of reducing the deficit, but does so with only cuts, even though a significant majority of Americans, including a majority of Republicans, favor closing loopholes for corporations and tax increases on the wealthiest Americans to make sure everyone is paying their fair share.

“Nevertheless, I will vote for this package, because defaulting would have grave economic consequences for my Minnesota constituents. The deal does protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. And it will erase some of the uncertainty confronting businesses and the markets.

“I hope now we can get back to our job, which is to facilitate the growth of our economy and create jobs by investing in innovation, in our infrastructure and workforce, and by making sure our children get a world-class education so they are prepared for a 21st century economy."

[dennis4868]

1. I read the bill myself...

I did not need Al Franken to give me his blessing...of course it does! But quiet, DUers need a reason to bash Obama....

[yurbud]

18. post a link to the tex then so we can all be reassured

[dennis4868]

21. SURE

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/08/01/us/politics/debt-ceiling-bill-text.html

[yurbud]

25. thanks! I'll read it today and post something later.

[dennis4868]

48. great...

glad I was able to help you out :-)

[trueblue2007]

58. well they better not bash President Obama, I don't think they will be WELCOME

they will not be welcomed by Demo underground administration.... right? If members BASH our Democratic president, wouldn't they be shown the door??


2. Who We Are: Democratic Underground is an online community for Democrats and other progressives. Members are expected to be generally supportive of progressive ideals, and to support Democratic candidates for political office. Democratic Underground is not affiliated with the Democratic Party, and comments posted here are not representative of the Democratic Party or its candidates.

[roguevalley]

69. ask yourself if the bill protects their children who will be old and

vulnerable soon enough and what about the older people who PAID FOR YEARS and missed the fricking cut? Since when is this a win? IT SUCKS! It sucks every way you look at it. They saved us and killed you. Good luck. You're going to need it.

[jtown1123]

2. He clearly doesn't understand the task of the Super Committee does he?

[Solomon]

39. Yeah, just like Obama, he's stupid.

They're all stupid. :sarcasm:

[readmoreoften]

47. No it's Krugman and Gore who are stupid.

[KittyWampus]

42. No, you don't understand the task of the Super Committee. It's been explained to you. You refuse to

acknowledge reality.

[jtown1123]

44. Haha really? What am I not getting? They were tasked to look at entitlements for cuts

this is a 100% fact. You, on the other hand, refuse to acknowledge this.

[Recursion]

66. No, they weren't

They were asked to find 1.5 trillion in deficit reduction by any means.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. But does it protect Medicare PROVIDERS??

The doctors and hospitals who accept federal Medicare dollars in order to treat geriatric patients? Such physicians are fleeing Medicare even now as they aren't compensated enough to pay their overhead and they're refusing new Medicare patients as a result.

[uponit7771]

9. Yeah, hasn't the GOP been saying this for decades?

[VeryConfused]

30. You mean like pray away the gay Bachman?

He's made a fortune off Medicare

[Liberalynn]

31. In our local paper today

a doctor from Rochester, NY said cuts to Medicare providers are essentially the same thing as cuts to beneficiaries as patients will be charged more to make up for the cuts. Plus AARP is saying SS and Medicare are only safe in this first round, not from the Super Committee cuts. So sorry Al not buying this argument that they are "safe". Why would Nancy Pelosi say she needs to appt Democrats who would vow to protect them if they are all ready safe?

And as has been said all it will take is for Harry Reed to appt one member willing to "comprimise with the Pukes" and then they can be cut.

SS was only protected from being a trigger mechanism. And oh by the way CNN's Anderson Cooper did say pulling the trigger is what could force a vote on the Balanced Budget amendment so that is in there too.

But everybody is going to believe what they want to believe. Me, I am still glad Gillibrand voted against it and so did Louise Slaughter (I wish she was my rep.)

[polmaven]

46. Where safe?

:shrug:

[Recursion]

37. You mean the for-profit hospitals that overcharge Medicare? No, and it shouldn't (nt)

[indurancevile]

41. lol. nice spin.

[Recursion]

51. It's not spin, it's a real problem

Ever read the McAllen, TX study?

[indurancevile]

53. they're not the target.

[Recursion]

54. We can have our own opinions but not our own facts

All of the Medicare cuts are provider cost controls. Every single one. By my count about 2/3rds of them were already part of PPACA.

[indurancevile]

56. "provider cost controls" is not synonymous with "for-profit hospitals that overcharge medicare".

your spin continuesl.

[onyourleft]

60. Physicians and hospitals...

...are not the only providers.

[daa]

4. It does neither

The deal does protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. And it will erase some of the uncertainty confronting businesses and the markets.

the markets tanked duh

[Newest Reality]

5. That's understandable .. but,

“I hope now we can get back to our job, which is to facilitate the growth of our economy and create jobs by investing in innovation, in our infrastructure and workforce, and by making sure our children get a world-class education so they are prepared for a 21st century economy."

It appears that none of that is going to really come about for a least a generation or more, if at all, unless we create something new and better than the corporatist, profit-only model of culture and reality.

It is crystal clear and an unavoidable fact as to where the model is taking us, and our environment to, and it is a fast track to breakdowns and destruction.

[hlthe2b]

6. As I posted in the dupe thread, Franken is one I believe on this issue....

Any who has heard him speak in extremely emotional terms on the impact social security had on his wife's upbringing (sustained his wife's entire family after the untimely death of her father when she was quite young), know that he is deeply committed to these programs. He and Sanders are two that I don't question in terms of their unwavering support on this issue.

[okieinpain]

7. nah, off with his head. he's spinless and a caver. hope he gets

primaried. blah, blah, blah....

[Wait Wut]

10. Yep.

There goes the whole "Franken 2012" fan base.

[okieinpain]

16. lol. I just wished people would do something other than

complain. the ones that are really pissed are not going to be taken seriously until they put bodies in the streets. myself i believe that it will all work out in the end, if not there is always 12-21-2012. lol...

[uponit7771]

22. lol

[jtown1123]

12. You're going to believe him or the facts? He is strong on SS but not sure how

he can say the deal protected them considering it set up a committee that will propose plans to cut them...

[hlthe2b]

15. I said I believe his sincere intent to defend SS, Medicare

[hlthe2b]

17. He stated the current deal protected them. Winning a battle does not

imply we have won the war. Do you not get that?

[jtown1123]

36. I get your point, but I disagree with his statement that the deal protects them. Quite the contrary

now they will be examined in a specific commission tasked to find trillions in savings. This puts them in more danger, not less.

[UrbScotty]

68. Well put.

[uponit7771]

8. FUCK FACTS!!!! /sarcasm

[UrbScotty]

71. "Facts are stupid things." - Ronald Reagan

[Angry Dragon]

11. Where is this money going to come from to

"facilitate the growth of our economy and create jobs by investing in innovation, in our infrastructure and workforce, and by making sure our children get a world-class education so they are prepared for a 21st century economy."

That takes money ..........

[Guilded Lilly]

13. I'm always glad to hear from Sen Franken...

I feel he has a very good grasp of exactly what is going on.

[Better Believe It]

14. One more former "liberal" bites the dust.

So he is challenging what Senator Sanders and other liberals have said regarding this deal.

[VeryConfused]

27. One more liberal under the bus

for speaking the truth

[Blue_In_AK]

19. Operative words.

FOR NOW.

[uponit7771]

23. ..there has always been a "FOR NOW" since the programs inception!!

[EFerrari]

20. Good one, Al. n/t

[Unvanguard]

24. Al Franken can say what he wants. That doesn't mean it's true.

In this case, his statement, unqualified, is at the least misleading, for reasons people have repeatedly stated here before. The beneficiaries of those programs are protected from the trigger. They are not protected from the Joint Committee recommendations.

[VeryConfused]

26. Unless you agree with him, then his word is gospel

[Unvanguard]

32. Al Franken's words do not determine truth whether I agree with him or not.

His votes (as well as the votes of other progressive Democrats) do carry some authority with me in terms of which legislation is worthy of support, especially on complicated policy issues where the details are not clear to me, but I think he made the wrong call this time, though I understand why he voted the way he did.

[SidDithers]

28. K&R...

and now Franken goes under the bus.

Sid

[JoePhilly]

29. AL ... look out for that BUS!!!!!

[Chimichurri]

33. It's protects it for now. the Super Congress will be appointed to slash them

[Recursion]

38. And if it slashes them, the Senate won't pass the recommendations

And the trigger doesn't touch social security or medicaid, and most of the medicare cost controls are already part of PPACA.

[jtown1123]

40. Are you so sure the Senate won't pass their recs? I'm not.

[Recursion]

52. If Congress is willing to pass SS cuts then the fact that there's a commission doesn't matter

A Congress that is willing to cut social security will cut social security. A Congress that isn't, won't. The committee structure they use to get there or not isn't really a factor.

[jtown1123]

63. So why are there no amendments allowed? I think a lot of pple will vote yes to avoid the trigger

people that wouldn't have voted to cut SS without the proverbial "gun" or trigger to their heads...

[Recursion]

65. There is no "trigger". It's discretionary cuts in subsequent fiscal years, which means zero

All a discretionary cut in a later fiscal year is, is Congress stating its hope that a future Congress won't spend any more than that.

[Chimichurri]

43. From your keyboard to Dog's ears. I have little faith in this Congress.

[KittyWampus]

45. WRONG! The Committee only looks at Military & Medicare PROVIDERS.

[jtown1123]

49. No, Kitty that's the trigger in the event the Super Committee recs don't pass.

[Liberalynn]

50. that and according to Anderson Cooper last night

the balanced budget vote will be taken if the trigger gets pulled as well. He didn't say whether they had to guarentee passage of the BBA in Congress or just take the vote? How they could guarentee its passage though and still call it a "vote" is beyond me. I just haven't found out if anything is contingent on it actually passing both houses of Congress, that would "force" Democrats to vote for it?

[Ozymanithrax]

34. Franken(D) knows how to fight...

I trust him. I will donate to his re-eleciton.

I don't trust Obama(R). He doesn't know how to fight.

[proud patriot]

35. thank you Al

I feeling like people are freaking out is a bit over the top and that the bashing of Obama
when he got the best deal he could get. He defended what the republicans wanted to come after.

It's very frustrating to this LIBERAL DEMOCRAT!

[UrbScotty]

67. Most liberal Democrats are on Obama's side,

whatever they may have you believe ;-)

[alsame]

55. "Beneficiaries"...everything I've heard says current

beneficiaries will be protected. Even the Ryan plan protects them. The cutting will affect those not yet receiving benefits and those under 55 the most.

So his statement is technically correct but doesn't mean cuts aren't coming.

[jtown1123]

57. Cuts to providers will be cuts to beneficiaries b/c doctors can't afford to see them.

[alsame]

59. Yes, but that's not supposed to happen unless

the 'trigger' is pulled, right? I'm so confused, this thing is just a mess.

I just think Franken was playing with words and used "beneficiaries" to sugar coat this as much as possible.

[jtown1123]

61. Yes. But in order to stop the trigger, a plan must be agreed upon

that will include proposals to cut SS, Medicare and Medicaid. Either way, it's a mess.

[alsame]

62. Fustercluck no matter what, that's for sure. nt

[jtown1123]

64. Agreed. n/t

[blindpig]

70. Still a comedian, I see.

And about as funny as ever.