Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) just sent out an email to her supporters responding to President Obama’s budget, which includes a chained CPI that would cut Social Security and veterans benefits.
Warren says she’s “shocked” by Obama’s proposal, which would amount to a “fancy way to say ‘cut benefits for seniors, the permanently disabled, and orphans.'” Read Warren’s full e-mail below:
Hi Mindy,
My brother David has always had the special spark in our family.
Like our two older brothers, David served in the military. When he got out, he started a small business — and when that one didn’t work out, he started another one. He couldn’t imagine an America where he wasn’t living by his wits every single day.
Year after year, my brother paid into Social Security. He never questioned it. He figured he was paying so that he — and a lot of other people — could have a secure retirement.
Today my brother lives on his Social Security. That’s about $1,100 a month. $13,200 a year.
I’m telling you my brother’s story not because it’s unusual, but because it’s like the story of so many other people. I can almost guarantee that you know someone — a family member, friend, or neighbor — who counts on Social Security checks to get by.
That’s why I was shocked to hear that the President’s newest budget proposal would cut $100 billion in Social Security benefits. Our Social Security system is critical to protecting middle class families, and we cannot allow it to be dismantled inch by inch.
The President’s policy proposal, known as “chained CPI,” would re-calculate the cost of living for Social Security beneficiaries. That new number won’t keep up with inflation on things like food and health care — the basics that we need to live.
In short, “chained CPI” is just a fancy way to say “cut benefits for seniors, the permanently disabled, and orphans.”
Two-thirds of seniors rely on Social Security for most of their income; one-third rely on it for at least 90% of their income. These people aren’t stashing their Social Security checks in the Cayman Islands and buying vacation homes in Aruba ai??i?? they are hanging on by their fingernails to their place in the middle class.
My brothers and I grew up in an America that invested in its kids and built a strong middle class. An America that allowed millions of children to rise from poverty and establish secure lives. An America that created Social Security and Medicare so that seniors could live with dignity.
We can’t chip away at America’s middle class and break the promise we make to our seniors.
Thank you for being a part of this,
Elizabeth
Thanks!
Maybe it is Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton to whom we should be speaking. They will be paying the political price for this decision.
The USA is spending a published $1 Trillion per year on war-making. I agree with Dr. Helen Caldicott. We should stop all the war-making and send the war material makers packing. Social Security is a compact with the American people that has been in place since the 1960’s. This massive expansion in war-making has occurred roughly since the Republicans gave up any sense of responsibility to the American public in Clinton’s second term. Now, conscionable Americans must wrest control of our future from both parties. The massive debt burden has to be arrested and corrected. Destroying Social Security is not the way to go. Requiring all war material makers to “take a haircut” is the way to go.
I would suggest to everyone that building more nuclear weapons and rebuilding the old nuclear weapons is the most idiotic and senseless path to pursue! I support removing all the nuclear weapons, worldwide and canning that crap in a deep bunker like the Finns are pursuing.
If the money to be spent on this nuclear weapons nonsense would actually be invested in small towns, cities, counties…to get solar electricity production going, we could pay for all the Social Security we need. We would be able to: rebuild the railroads, rebuild the canals, re-open the local warehouses, grain elevators and grain mills. Local markets for local sale of vegetables, poultry…general farm products, textiles… All of this will become necessary as our oil energy is close to unavailable as the price will become unacceptable. These local economies can then give a few percent of proceeds to retirement and that money can be paid to retirees.
Secondly, maintaining a twelve aircraft carrier fleet is idiotic at best. Many retired admirals have made this clear. There is no point in spending money to defend against enemies that don’t exist. Maintaining a capable navy is important but at a much lesser size. Similar statements should be made about the military overall.
Here we have the ability to put solar panels on all the roofs in the entire country. Energy is the key to our future. It is the key to the future of Social Security, the well being of the next several generations and the health of the planet. All we have to do is follow Germany’s lead. They have engaged all their people who are willing to put solar panels on the roofs and windmills everywhere possible. In this way, people get employed, taxes get paid, retired persons get retirement checks…local shops and businesses have people spending money in the local economies with money collected from energy production. This has worked very well for Germany.
The main theme is, all this should be wrested from federal control. We don’t get good things from a $4 Trillion federal government. We get only tyranny. The federal government should give up most of the work to be done by the states. Social Security and all things related to the people should be at the state level.
GY
Obama is dining with our enemies…but not his…he is a Democrat in name only…NO TRUE DEMOCRAT would propose financial cuts 2 SS, disabled vets, seniors, children with a deceased parent, or a means test 4 those on Medicare! Raise the cap…negotiate drug costs, and make the billionaires and American companies pay a greater share of taxation.. Stop trying to financially hurt the old, the young, and the disabled.
Every Democratic member of the House and Senate needs to stand with We, the People, against this president and say NO WAY! This Republican proposal needs to b sent to the circular file ASAP never 2 rear its ugly head, again!
The trend I find most disturbing about all this is that people are investing in party politics instead of conscious voting. It was obvious to me when Obama took on Geitner, Rubin, and Summers that he really didn’t care about us little people. He took our unwillingness to have another Republican to the bank literally. It only takes one Green vote at a time to change the stench in Washington.