Democratic Offer Opposes Social Security Cuts

I'm writing a series of posts as a blogging fellow for the Strengthen Social Security Campaign, a coalition of more than 270 national and state organizations.

After long hearing about the Democrats on the supercommittee possibly proposing cuts to Social Security, this week's Democratic proposal does not contain any direct cuts to the retirement program, a pleasant surprise. If that plank of the proposal holds, it's likely it will be one of the few good things to get through the supercommittee. It had been widely feared that the Democrats would cave and would have created the chained consumer price index, a proposal that some suggest is designed to kill Social Security:

Chained CPI is a very effective way to destroy social security over time. Sure, it will take 30 years. But they will never have to do another thing after they make this change. Just sit back and wait to destroy this incredibly successful and fully funded program.

As I've said before, George Bush tried to destroy social security and failed. So they had to get the Democrats to do it. Make no mistake, chained CPI is the slow death of social security.

Groups opposed to Social Security cuts applauded the removal of Social Security cuts from the bargaining table:

“It sounds like the supercommittee may finally be listening to the American public, who have been saying in every way they possibly can — 'Keep your hands off my Social Security, my children's Social Security, and my grandchildren's Social Security,' " Eric Kingson of Social Security Works said.

The seniors representatives are not pleased that cuts to Medicare benefits do remain on the table.

“We are gratified that the most recent Democratic proposal reportedly does not cut Social Security. At the same time, the proposal reportedly would increase the costs of Medicare beneficiaries; those Medicare cuts are an indirect cut to Social Security, because the same group of people have earned and receive both Social Security and Medicare,” Nancy Altman of the Strengthen Social Security Campaign said.

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