5.6 trillion was MANDATORY.
Cutting discretionary 100 percent (not including military) would save 800 billion.
We ran a 2 trillion dollar deficit.
Slashing non military discretionary by 80 percent would save about 600 billion dollars.
Where's the other 1.4 trillion gonna come from?
I bet we could get the same out of our military for 600 billion as we do for 800 billion with the RIGHT spending.
Hell, 5 trillion has been LOST.
We can cut Medicaid and save 300 or 400 billion there..if we SLASH it big time.
That would be a savings of 600 billion from discretionary, 200 billion from the military and 300 billion from medicaid.
1.1 trillion.
Still gotta dig up 900 billion...I don't see how SS and Medicare can go untouched.
But what is happening is a GREAT, GREAT start
To help they can sell the buildings and property, use that money. Utilities and insurance ( if govt has to carry that) would stop along with maintenance. A lot of those buildings are in prime locations
You mentioned both Medicaid and Medicare, two major things here: The hatchet needs to go to Medicaid first as the illegals, fraudsters, and politicians use it as a money pit. Secondly, it is the congress who has raided Medicare for their pet projects and not being saved like it should, it is they who are the enemy here. I’ve been paying into that gummit scam for over 50 years and they still taking money from me and everybody else who is still working.
It is our worthless congress that is the enemy here.
“5.6 trillion was MANDATORY.”
Personally, I only consider Medicare, SS, and debt interest as mandatory - but I also see listed Medicaid, and “Income Security”, whatever the hell that is.
In any case, I suspect that all but debt interest is loaded with fraud, so lots of room. For starters, states administer Medicaid and many states, starting with California, ask if you’re a citizen - if you say yes, then that’s it, you get the dough, no further checking required - after all, would anyone ever lie about that? Tons of people 112 years old, and older on SS. So, lots of room.
“ Still gotta dig up 900 billion...I don’t see how SS and Medicare can go untouched.”
There is a big difference between “slashing” and getting rid of fraud, waste, and abuse.
Personal story, my wife received here Medicare summary and it showed 7 600$ payments for colonoscopy bags. She does not have one. We called Medicare to report the fraud and the lady said that this was a big scam going on right now.
Though Medicare is mandatory spending that doesn’t mean all that spending is legit, crack down on the system that allows this fraud will save hundreds of billions, add Medicaid and welfare you will add hundreds of billions more, and when defense budget is DOGEed(now a verb like googled) another few hundred billion
To rephrase a former political a hundred billion here a hundred billion there pretty soon you are talking real money.
Side note, it infuriates me when I hear people talking as if 36k is a drop in the bucket, ask yourself how many individual tax payments does it take to add up to 36k? My wife and I paid over 20k in fed taxes, for what to pay for part of a trans comic book in Peru?
USAID is just the beginning, when Elon and his team start climbing the stair of congress, that’s when the howls and nashing of teeth will become thunderous
Why pick on Social Security. Why not welfare and Medicaid? those two are scams.
Touch SS and Medicare and Trump will ruin his presidency. Seniors will be at the White House with flintlocks if necessary.
Where can the other 1/4 trillion come from? Cut the waste out from people that are receiving benefits they don’t deserve like a lot of welfare.
That would save a lot of expense. If these people went back to work they would be paying in instead of milking the system.