McCarthy Caves To Biden On Social Security And Medicare Cuts

Speaker McCarthy said on Sunday that he wants to take Social Security and Medicare cuts off the table as an option for spending cuts.

Transcript via CBS News’s Face The Nation:

MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to dig into what you are willing to put on the table because Republicans campaigned on fiscal responsibility. You promised you won’t spend more next year than you did last year. Are you willing to consider any reductions to Social Security and Medicare?

SPEAKER MCCARTHY: No. Let’s take those off the table–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Completely?

SPEAKER MCCARTHY: Yeah. I mean, if you read our commitment to America, all we talk about is strengthening Medicare and Social Security. So, and I know the president says he doesn’t want to look at it, but we’ve got to make sure we strengthen those.

MARGARET BRENNAN: What do you mean by strengthen? You mean lift the retirement age, for example?

SPEAKER MCCARTHY: No, no, no. What I’m talking about Social Security, Medicare, you keep that to the side.

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McCarthy’s comments are going to come as a surprise to House Republicans who are demanding Social Security and Medicare cuts and thought that the debt ceiling was the perfect time to get them.

The Speaker’s comments confirm what Democrats have been whispering for weeks. McCarthy doesn’t have the votes among his own majority to pass any cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

President Biden’s strategy of no negotiations is having success. Kevin McCarthy is negotiating with himself, and so far, he is not winning.

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