DEMs vs. GOP: EXPAND, DON’T DESTROY, SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE

Daily Action
Written By Barbara Isaacman

QUICK READ:MAGA Republicans are pushing a fast-tracked, closed-door “debt commission”—their latest attempt to cut the highly popular Social Security and Medicare programs, by falsely claiming they contribute to the national debt. What we need instead is to expand their income base and extend their solvency by requiring high income taxpayers to contribute their fair share.



CONTENTS:

BACKGROUND

Social Security and Medicare, the cornerstone of our social safety net, allow millions of Americans to retire with dignity. If all wages were subjected to the same tax as the first $142,800 earned, the systems’ long-term health would be ensured and benefits could be increased.

Although Social Security and Medicare are entirely self-funded and don’t affect the national debt, whose burgeoning deficits come from GOP-enacted tax welfare for the rich and IRS underfunding, ignoring these truths has been a decades-long GOP mainstay.

Over 80% of Americans want Social Security expanded, not cut to reduce the deficit, and most likely voters would vote out a “debt commission’s” supporters.

Nevertheless, the House Budget Committee approved HR.5779 on January 18, rejecting Democrats’ amendments protecting Social Security and Medicare from the cuts and encouraging higher taxes for the rich and more IRS funding, with plans to attach it to March’s must-pass budget bill.

A closed-door commission, rightly labeled a “death panel” by the Biden Administration, whose findings would have to be voted on without amendment during the 2025 lame-duck session, allows Republicans to cut Americans’ hard-earned benefits while evading political responsibility.

Our MoCs must protect, not punish, current and future beneficiaries by rejecting this commission,” voting instead to expand their tax bases and extend their solvency.

ACTION One: Call the Senate.

Script for Oregon Senators

SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753

My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Thank you for your ongoing support for Social Security and Medicare, the cornerstone of America’s social safety net. Please use your influence to convince your colleagues to reject the highly unpopular “debt commission” being pushed by Sens. Manchin and Romney (S.3262) and to vote, instead, for legislation expanding Social Security’s and Medicare’s tax bases and extending their solvency. To further protect Social Security, I urge you to vote against Andrew Biggs, a Social Security privatizer, for membership on the Social Security Advisory Board.

*SEN. WYDEN:* Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Thank you for your ongoing and fervent support for Social Security and Medicare, the cornerstone of America’s social safety net, for speaking out against the backroom scheme to cut these essential programs, and for opposing Andrew Biggs’ membership on the Social Security Advisory Board. Please use your influence to convince your colleagues to reject the highly unpopular “debt commission” being pushed by Sens. Manchin and Romney (S.3262), to vote, instead, for legislation expanding Social Security’s and Medicare’s tax bases and extending their solvency, and to reject Andrew Biggs’ nomination.

Script for Republican Senators

D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].

Your party is hoping to launch a “debt commission” aimed at cutting Medicare and Social Security. I strongly oppose this and would work to defeat any lawmaker who favors this plan, which the American people overwhelmingly reject. A better and more popular proposal would be to expand Social Security’s and Medicare’s tax bases and extend their solvency—a move that would benefit the great majority of your constituents.

ACTION TWO: Call the House.

Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)

Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Thank you for your ongoing and fervent support for Social Security and Medicare, the cornerstone of America’s social safety net and for speaking out against the backroom scheme to cut these essential programs through creation of a “fast-track” so-called fiscal commission. Please use your influence to convince your colleagues to reject this highly unpopular and undemocratic scheme and to vote, instead, for legislation expanding Social Security’s and Medicare’s tax bases and extending their solvency.

Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)

Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Your party is hoping to launch a “debt commission” aimed at cutting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. I strongly oppose this and would work to defeat any lawmaker who favors this plan, which the American people overwhelmingly reject. A better and more popular proposal would be to expand Social Security’s and Medicare’s tax bases and extend their solvency, as HR.1046 (the Social Security Expansion Act) and HR.4535 (the Medicare and Social Security Fair Share Act) would do.

Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)

Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

I was shocked to learn that you had fallen for the latest GOP scheme to cut Social Security and Medicare, the cornerstones of our social safety net that allow millions of Americans to retire with dignity, since I am certain you know that these programs are self-funded, that the burgeoning deficit is caused instead by GOP-enacted welfare for the rich and IRS underfunding, and that the best way to attack the deficit is through raising taxes on the rich, not taking money from the poor. Whatever your reasoning at the time, I expect you to commit to working to ensure that this GOP scheme is not attached to any legislation on which you are asked to vote before you retire from Congress.

Script for Val Hoyle (OR-04)

Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Thank you for your ongoing and fervent support for Social Security and Medicare, the cornerstone of America’s social safety net and for speaking out against the backroom scheme to cut these essential programs through creation of a “fast-track” so-called fiscal commission. Please use your influence to convince your colleagues to reject this highly unpopular and undemocratic scheme and to vote, instead, for legislation expanding Social Security’s and Medicare’s tax bases and extending their solvency.

Script for Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05)

Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Your party is hoping to launch a “debt commission” aimed at cutting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. I strongly oppose this and would work to defeat any lawmaker who favors this plan, which the American people overwhelmingly reject. A better and more popular proposal would be to expand Social Security’s and Medicare’s tax bases and extend their solvency, as HR.1046 (the Social Security Expansion Act) and HR.4535 (the Medicare and Social Security Fair Share Act) would do.

Script for Andrea Salinas (OR-06)

Salem office: 503-385-0906 | DC office: 202-225-5643

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Thank you for your ongoing and fervent support for Social Security and Medicare, the cornerstone of America’s social safety net and for speaking out against the backroom scheme to cut these essential programs through creation of a “fast-track” so-called fiscal commission. Please use your influence to convince your colleagues to reject this highly unpopular and undemocratic scheme and to vote, instead, for legislation expanding Social Security’s and Medicare’s tax bases and extending their solvency.

FURTHER READING

Barbara Isaacman
Previous

Defending Democracy: The US Must Provide Additional Military Aid to Ukraine
Next

DEMs vs. GOP: Democracy over Authoritarianism