Cuts Are Coming to Social Security and Medicare Whether the Politicians Want Them or Not

PJ Media ^ | 02/19/2023 | Rick Moran

[SeekAndFind]

Social Security and Medicare are on an “unsustainable course” and will run out of funds by 2037. That’s the conclusion reached by the General Accountability Office (GAO) and the Social Security Administration.

There is no saving these programs without massive changes. And demagoguing the issue, as Joe Biden and the Democrats are doing, only delays the day of reckoning. To pretend these programs don’t need intervention now — right now — is to play with dynamite. The sooner we can get started, the less pain will be inflicted on senior citizens.

Pain there will be. In order to put these programs on the path to long-term viability, it will take political courage absent from today’s politicians.

Veronique de Rugy has been the Paul Revere on Social Security unsustainability for as long as I’ve been writing. Her article in Reason.com explains the problems with the two biggest government programs plainly and succinctly.

It’s important for people to grasp reality because no single issue will affect our fiscal future more than Social Security and Medicare. Spending on these two programs alone consumes 45 percent of the federal budget. Along with Medicaid, these programs are the drivers of our current and future debt. And to drive home the seriousness of our predicament, note that Medicare and Social Security together face a shortfall of $116 trillion over the next 30 years.

That’s more than five times the current gross domestic product. But Biden wants to demonize Republicans for trying to address these long-term problems?

There is no political consensus on what to do about these two programs. Democrats want to raise the retirement age and charge retirees more for Medicare. That’s a bandaid that won’t even extend the viability of the programs for much more than a decade.

[faithhopecharity]

Stop the give away benefits to those who haven’t contributed or paid in for them.

[joma89]

Instead, let’s get rid of these programs completely. The money previously paid in was stolen by government anyway.

[VTenigma]

What’s unsustainable is the outrageous spending on absolute frivolities the federal government engages in.

[dfwgator]

Americans Last.

[chief lee runamok]

My neighbor's household of three people each receiving social security payments
of eight hundred a month. never worked a day in their lives.

The son calls his monthly payment "payday".

[dfwgator]

After they pay me back with interest for all the money I paid into it all these years.

[JonPreston]

Thanks to screwball Republicans pushing for cuts, they will be blamed for Democrat cuts. I give you the Stoopid Party.

[ameribbean expat]

Appreciated the link to the Reason article.

[SamAdams76]

So long as we are funneling billions of dollars to Ukraine and billions more in welfare to deadbeats who never worked an honest day in their lives, retirees should keep on getting the Social Security checks that they worked their entire lives for.

Make them tax-free as well.

[TomGuy]

Social Security and Medicare are on an “unsustainable course” and will run out of funds by ...[pick a year]

Pols have been using this ploy for decades. They holler that SS/M are about to go broke. Then, just in time, Congress passes another bill to 'sustain' SS/M for a few more years.

Same song, same verse, different year.

[BobL]

The much-accelerated end of the Petrol Dollar and Reserve Currency (thanks to the Neocon War in Ukraine) will FORCE the US to have to PAY THEIR WAY as far as the government is concerned.

This means HUGE CUTS to entitlements...or a total societal collapse...and then HUGE CUTS to entitlements.

The Petrol Dollar and Reserve Currency status of the dollar was going to end anyway due to our run-away spending - but our silly actions against Russia has now accelerated the timeline to years, when it had been DECADES.

[Bob434]

What if we self identify as Ukrainians? Will they keep payments going then?

[ryderann]

Social Security and Medicare are already being heavily cut via inflation.

[kiryandil]

Thanks to screwball Republicans pushing for cuts, they will be blamed for Democrat cuts. I give you the Stoopid Party.

It's like taking candy from a STUPID baby, as the saying goes.

[SoConPubbie]

My neighbor's household of three people each receiving social security payments of eight hundred a month. never worked a day in their lives.

Countered by the millions that worked hard all their lives and paid into the system.

You know, the ones who deserve to get back every single penny they paid in.

[caww]

Article states....
“There is no saving these programs without massive changes”.....

Quit sending tax dollars overseas would fix it fast.

[escapefromboston]

It’s going to be hard to convince people to take a cut when we send millions of dollars to foreign countries around the globe.

[kiryandil]

What if we self identify as Ukrainians? Will they keep payments going then?

"Money. And weapons. Heavy weapons. And fighter jets." - in the Piano Man's gruff grifting voice

[redcatcherb412]

Give up your SS pension because biden needs to send that money to the slav nexus for their pensions as he stated.