SOTU: Blue-Collar Joe, Boos, and 'We Will Not Cut Social Security'

'We Will Not Cut Social Security'
Should cutting Social Security and Medicare be off the table?

Dear Representatives and Senators: 

Simply and Clearly — DO NOT CUT Either Social Security or Medicare. 

Instead, we most strongly advocate that benefits be expanded and increased.

Note: My entire family (parents, uncles, aunts, and cousins) has opposed cuts to these programs since the Goldwater Campaign Elevated the Issue in 1964 while both sets of my grandparents were still alive. WTH! 

Americans (even non-citizens) are required to pay into these programs in every paycheck their whole lives. This money belongs to the people who pay into them, no matter who they are or how much money they make.

It's clear the Republicans want to cut spending, even though they are the ones who drove up the deficit with their reckless tax cuts and spending during the previous administration. 

I'm not opposed to cutting spending, but it cannot come from entitlement programs that Americans have paid into. 

The military is by far the largest part of the budget, and the military has never once passed an audit of how they spend their money every year. I suggest the GOP start looking for these reductions there.

Social security and medicare belong to the people. It is our money invested in our retirement. It is NOT an entitlement. Entitlements are handed out to the big corporations, the rich, those who back the republicans. The same corporations that send your jobs to China, the rich parasites who do not pay their fair share of taxes. Make them pay, then we would have a balanced budget.

And lets not forget all the entitlements the politicians gave themselves.  

Republicanism is based on total lies, has been since the 80's. Republicanism is nazism.  
Republicans are pure corruption. 

Republicans have been attempting to eliminate Social Security and Medicare benefits literally since the respective days they were implemented under FDR and LBJ. Both programs are very entrenched into the American economy and eliminating will be extremely difficult politically for any party. The GOP may have decried Biden's comment last night about some Republicans wanting to sunset Social Security and Medicare, but Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) proposed the idea, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) promoted it, and Rep. Mike Lee (R-UT) campaigned on the slogan that he would "tear them out by the roots."

A key problem with the funding of both programs is that only wages are taxed for funding, and then only up to a certain amount - again, the ultra rich/1% get to benefit from the programs but don't pay in when they reach an age to qualify, or receive SSDI if disabled.

Removing the cap on wages, and taxing other forms of income needs to be seriously considered, and in fact, implemented, as a means of funding these programs for the future. Other suggestions such as raising the retirement age, reducing payments to hospitals, etc, are purely cover for the agendas of the very rich and cause the middle income citizens to again carry the burden and the pain of having to support those who are financially better off.  The rich have benefited from this country's economic system, it is time they begin to pay back to it some of what has been given them by that system. 

I heard lots of great plans and policies to help all the American people (well, maybe not the ultra-wealthy) last night.

It's a shame the Republicans don't seem to support education, border reform, and increased wages. I really don't know what their policies are, but they don't seem to want to help the people they supposedly represent, as evidenced by all their scowling and howling.

Medicare is in dire need of reform. Fee for service medicine creates perverse incentives to provide excess treatments. Negotiating drug prices (Part D) is a start. Now let's negotiate well-patient rates for GPs and open the doors to PAs and nurse-practitioners. Plus lots more.

It is our money for the people that are retired, the very people that have donated to it.  It is not for the government.

Please for the love of God start taxing the billionaires. It's time to stop stealing from the poor and the middle class. 

Entitlement programs, including Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid, make-up a significant portion of Federal spending, and need to be considered to bring spending under control. 

I favor providing citizens the option of opting-out of these programs, especially Social Security and Medicare, permitting them to find private options, like self-funded retirement savings accounts. These would both provide better returns and service, while increasing competition in both areas.

HANDS OFF SS AND MEDICARE!! ITS ABSURD TO EVEN DISCUSS THIS!! THESE ARE NOT ENTITLEMENTS!!! PAYBACK WHAT YOU HAVE STOLEN AND STOP STEALING FROM THE SS FUND. SCOTT AND RUBIO ARE WORTHLESS!!

They will fight tooth and nail to cut all the programs they can.  They don't care what Biden said.  They just don't care about anyone but themselves.

The boos and the heckling by fake republicans as seen by the albino baboon from Georgia, (name calling used here for the benefit of the republicans) show the immaturity level of this party.  Trump has the emotional and mental maturity of a second grader and his party and their ignorant followers have that of a first grader.

They lack the ability to govern, but lording over you, well they get that from the German Nazi playbook.

RNC = REPRESSIVE NAZI CONFEDERACY

GOP = GOVERNMENT OPPRESSION

You are free to make personal decisions we tell you you can make!

You are free to read the books we deem appropriate!

You are free to vote in our rigged, gerrymandered districts with our voter suppression laws.  If we happen to lose, we will then cry about it and deny the outcome.  Again, we see their immaturity rear its ugly head.

Socialism for the rich and big corporations.  Suppression of the middle class.

i am semi retired  thats my damn money anyway that is the stupidest thing our butthole pres has ever come up with

Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid are NOT ENTITLEMENTS! They are necessary programs that citizens pay into! What kind of society are we if we dont care for our own elderly, disabled and vulnerable people and our children? 

The money belongs to the citizens that pay into the funds. It is a BENEFIT Paid for & collected by the citizens of the United States. I get the "raising the age of Eligibility" To slow the pace of people collecting from the benefit fund to try & slow down the Benefit distribution. BUT We the citizens should have a say so in it.

This is a safety net for those who works for corporations and small business that offers nothing or very little in pension or health care. In the long run saves tax payers money. Maybe get government workers and public workers who no longer paying into these funds like SS and Medicare paying again. I do think we need to tighten up on Social Security disability insurance. I do see allot of folks abusing this and the lawyers are helping theses who do not qualify get on it. Leve the rest alone. Hands off our Social Security we pay into it and it's ours. 

We paid into it. We are owed that money. 

Cutting MediCare & Social Security should be off the table

Raising the retirement age gradually, like was done from 65 to 67, is necessary since people are living a lot longer now.  Anything else should be off the table.

Cuts to essential services for senior citizens would put an enormous segment of the population into immediate poverty. This is totally unacceptable!

I've seen Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) squirming trying to deny that he said that "every Federal law should sunset every 5 years". 

Even if you believe that he's trying not to cut Medicare and Social Security, WHAT is included in "every Federal law"? The Voting Rights Act? The Freedom of Marriage Act? The Violence Against Women Act? 

Where will it end? Theoretically, we could see Congress in a constant cycle of negotiating or arguing over federal programs such as they do the budget and debt ceiling ad infinitum. Is that really how we want our country to run? 

We cannot let this happen. I'm open to reforms of programs, but we can't let partisan politicians play kick the can crisis with every single program as they do with spending and the debt ceiling. It will be stressful chaos.

Biden led the charge on taxi g our social security benefits. What kind of bs is Causes trying to pull?

Oh, and has Biden forgotten?

Keep Social Security and Medicare SOLVENT.  No CUTS to both!

Medicare and Social Security are "entitlements" that we each pay for throughout our working life, so, yes, I am entitled to them. This is no different than the VA Disability I receive for long-term health impacts caused during my time voluntarily serving in Vietnam. Though it is not being talked about at this time, the Republicans have made it clear that they also want to slash my VA Medical and Disability benefits.  

Abolish the Trump era tax cuts for the wealthy and tax them equally and fairly. More than enough $ to go around. tax corporation! 

 Do not balance the budget on the backs of those most in need of their benefits they paid for throughout their working lives. 

Since my wife and I are on Social Security, of course it's important that it continues; but that's the simple answer. What needs to be shown, is that conservatives, since 1938, have tried all sorts of ways to undermine and eliminate the program; this needs to be laid out for the public to see. Then, it needs to be laid out, techiques available to strengthen and extend the program beyond the supposed "bankruptcy" constantly brought up by those same conservatives who wish it to fail--and NOT by raising eligability age or putting those on S.S. to below poverty levels(how inhumane can they be...) which other countries do as a matter of course for THEIR citizens. Not that we can humble ourselves to actually learn from other countries, but it would be nice...