Posted on 02/02/2021 5:19:19 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
Under a 2010 law, bills that add to the debt trigger automatic cuts. And preventing them would require Republican support.
WASHINGTON — Democrats considering a maneuver to forgo bipartisan support to pass Covid-19 relief are confronting an unintended consequence: Doing so could automatically cut Medicare.
Many Democrats want to pass President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief proposal, which includes $1,400 stimulus checks and aid to local governments. A group of Republican senators is pushing for a smaller plan that would provide $1,000 checks.
So Democratic leaders are preparing to use a process known as budget reconciliation, which would allow them to pass Biden's proposal without getting 60 votes in the Senate, which would require at least 10 Republicans.
But under the Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, known as PAYGO, new laws that raise the national debt automatically trigger offsetting cuts in some safety net programs.
The cuts can be avoided, budget experts say, only with 60 Senate votes — leaving Democrats back where they started, because it's unclear whether Republicans would vote to prevent the cuts after having opposed a partisan relief package.
"It's Medicare. It's farm subsidies," said Marc Goldwein, a budget expert at the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. "It's a bunch of programs that would be cut."
The size of the reductions in Medicare and other social safety net program would depend on the size of the package, but they'd be significant even if the price tag fell under $1 trillion. Social Security and low-income programs would be exempt.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
awe come on man.
Best guess is another $999b with Uniparty support, they save reconciliation for some other scam, and Biden’s handlers start preparing for Kameltoe to “assume the position”.
Freakin’ liars. Their motto is...lie to people and blame the other guy.
They never intended to send checks and RATs always choose Medicare and fire dept to cut and then proceed to blame the other side.
Same old same old.
I can’t wait for the SOTU speech. His handlers may make it a virtual/edited version cause he won’t be able to last that long before his brain starts farting.
They’ll do it anyway and they and the bootlicking “press” will still blame it on Reps, saying well we just HAD to do the RIGHT thing, because of the big meanie Republicans forced us to.
I’m not sure there will be a SOTU speech as we know it.
They’re going to do something like it Feb 23rd - not sure if it’s live or not
How many senior deaths Cuomo is responsible for? What interest we have in Burma?
He has not done one good thing for the people since he has been in office. Not a drop of good.
I did a quick Google - Nat’l Debt = $26.9 Trillion and Annual GDP = $20.8 Trillion.
Isn’t that like making $50k/yr with a $65K Credit Card Balance?
Medicare cuts as they call it another slice of the pie.
It’s all fun until the checks bounce. I used to worry about deficits and the natl debt but realized there’s no turning back. Run it ‘til it blows up...God help my grandkids.
I hope the Biden voters are happy with their medicare cuts.
yes
its cunningly designed to appear “un-intended” like so much other $%it they shovel in our direction
Note to seniors: here's a preview of coming attractions from across The Pond...
Check out the "national frailty score"
Theres a reason that flag-waving granny invaded the Capitol.
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