Bernie Sanders Exposes How Republicans Created A Phony Crisis To Cut Social Security Disability

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Ranking Senate Budget Committee member Sen. Bernie Sanders has released new report that details how Republicans are manufacturing a phony crisis in order to cut Social Security benefits for millions of disabled Americans.

The Sanders report explained how and why Republicans have created a fake crisis in order to cut disability benefits:

On the very first day of the new Congress, House Republicans passed a rule, later adopted by the full House, which would prevent the common practice of rebalancing funds. What this does is lay the groundwork for a 19% cut in disability benefits.

That’s a horribly devastating cut for individuals – most of whom are in their 50’s and in poor health – to absorb beginning next year. In fact, since most disability recipients receive barely $1,200 a month, a cut of nearly 20 percent could mean the difference between affording food, medicine, clothing or paying bills. It is an unspeakable option and one that we are determined to
prevent.

Earlier this month, President Obama suggested a budget that would do exactly what has been done 11 times in the past and that is to rebalance funds between the two programs. The response by the House to block that is merely an attempt to manufacture a crisis where none exists.

What is really happening here is a cynical attempt to divide the senior population from the disability community. And, in the process, they are making untruthful and unfair statements about the Social Security trust funds by insisting that reallocating money into the disability fund takes money away from the retirement fund. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Sen. Sanders (I-VT) added, “Republicans are manufacturing a phony crisis in Social Security in order to cut the earned benefits of millions of the most vulnerable people in this country. The American people won’t let them get away with it. At a time when millions of Americans with disabilities and senior citizens are struggling to pay for food, medicine and heat, we should expand, not cut, Social Security,”

The Republicans plan to cut benefits for 2 million disabled children who are among the 11 million Americans who receive Social Security Disability. The Republican scheme is typical of the cynical and divisive politics that the majority in the current Congress has fully embraced. Congressional Republicans specialize in manufacturing crisis for political gain.

The American people love Social Security, and they aren’t going to let Republicans get away with conning millions of people who paid into the system out of their benefits. The attack on the disabled is a new twist to the same old Republican plan to kill Social Security. It is once again time for the American people to stand up and tell Republicans no.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association