SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE, ARE NOT "ENTITLEMENTS"

By Joe F. Rodriguez

San Benito News Opinion 

FACT: 66 million Americans get their income from Social Security. 64 million Americans use Medicare for their primary health insurance, and 76 million Americans use Medicaid for healthcare.

In June 2022, the Republican Study Committee released a budget plan that included numerous
suggested reforms for Medicare and Social Security. These included increasing the eligibility ages
for each program to 67 and 70, respectively.

Furthermore, it called for withholding payments for individuals who retire early or had a certain level of income, and also suggested using private funding sources for Social Security to lower income taxes.

Bottom line, Republicans want to privatize Social Security and end Medicare as we know it. Privatizing Social Security has been an obsession for years at the core of Republican legislative agenda.

Republican leaders like Senators Ron Johnson (W), Senator Rick Scott (FL) are on record stating their intent to, as they put it, "reform" Social Security, Medicare and other entitlements, as they call them.

I don’t know about you, but millions of us taxpayers have paid into the Social Security fund and it’s "our money." It is NOT an entitlement.

Of course, Republicans always repeat their talking point that their intent is to help the programs remain solvent in the years to come.

Yeah, sure!

Social Security and Medicare are estimated to hit bankruptcy by 2035 and 2028, respectively, according to Bloomberg. Democrats, on the other hand, have proposed raising income taxes on the wealthiest Americans and allowing Social Security and Medicare to remain solvent without cutting benefits or
altering eligibility.

The Republican plan to fight inflation is to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Despite what Republicans would like us to believe, high inflation is not unique to the United States.

It is a major problem worldwide. In Germany and the U.K., it is 10 percent. Canada has 7 percent inflation rate. Global inflation is a direct result of the COVID pandemic and the break in supply chains. Let’s also not forget the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

What you don’t hear Republicans complaining about is the incredible "Corporate Greed" that is happening right now. Big Corporations and major banks are reaping huge profits during an inflation period. Every time you fill up your gas tank, oil companies are making huge profits. It is not the local gas station owner making the huge profits; it is the big oil companies. 

Oil Companies are the major financial funders of the Republican Party. 100 percent of Republicans in Congress voted AGAINST cheaper gas. Republicans like to blame President Biden for cancelling the Keystone XL Pipeline and high gasoline prices. The fact is the Keystone XL Pipeline, separate from the current operating Keystone Pipeline, was not even started and would take about 10 years to be in production.

The key fact is the Keystone XL Pipeline was NOT for U.S. customer consumption. Its intent was to
export it for "foreign consumption." Major food companies and pharmaceutical companies are also making huge profits with high prescription prices. 100 percent of Republicans voted AGAINST cheaper insulin and cheaper RX drugs. 

As you enter the voting booth to vote, remember 100 percent of Republicans in Congress voted AGAINST child tax credits, stimulus checks, the Voting Rights Act, ending gerrymandering, fighting climate change, prosecuting rich tax cheats, and saving ROE V WADE.

99 percent voted AGAINST banning war weapons and fighting domestic terrorism. 96 percent voted AGAINST keeping birth control legal and background checks.  94 percent voted AGAINST more baby formula. 84 percent voted AGAINST veteran cancer care. 68 percent voted AGAINST upholding the 2020 Presidential election.

Remember when the Republicans voted 65 times to repeal Obamacare? If the Republicans get control of the U.S. Congress, they will most certainly try the same thing as they did with Obamacare.

Fortunately, we had Republican Vietnam POW hero John McCain to defend Obamacare. Don’t let Republicans destroy Social Security and Medicare. Remember, It’s your money. It is NOT an entitlement.