December 04, 2013

Don’t Cut Social Security and Medicare. Expand Them!

We believe that all Americans deserve to retire with dignity. That’s why we’ve long supported strengthening Social Security and Medicare.

Through these programs, we have been able to lift millions out of poverty and provide affordable, high quality health care for millions of seniors and disabled Americans.

With a track record like this, we shouldn’t be cutting our social safety net — we should be expanding it. There are many common sense proposals that would allow us to expand benefits while extending these programs’ solvency.  Will you join us as we call on Congress to expand, not cut, Social Security and Medicare?

For years, Republicans have been intent on destroying Social Security and Medicare — while at the same time, medical costs have skyrocketed and savings and pensions have all but disappeared for our seniors.

With two-thirds of Social Security recipients relying on the program as their principal income, we should be strengthening Social Security’s underlying structure by raising the payroll tax cap, not slashing it.

And instead of weakening Medicare, we could use Medicare’s huge purchasing power to stop drug price gouging and get much lower drug prices, just like the Veterans Administration does today.

The biggest lie Republicans have been able to convince the American people of is that we must cut our social safety net. But the truth is, we can improve Social Security and Medicare’s benefits and finances by taking on millionaires and drug companies instead.

Let’s stop focusing on cutting our social safety net. Instead, let’s start focusing on making it stronger. Tell Congress: Don’t cut Social Security and Medicare. Expand them.