Don't get dizzy reading Mike Lee's ridiculous response ...

[aggiesal]

[madaboutharry]

1. Translation:

Hi, I'm Mike Lee and I would like to offer a crock of gaslighting bullshit as I try to run from things I have said.

[blm]

2. Sure, Mike. Let us know when Kochs, Mercers,

Thiel, and every other billionaire in control of your party drops their goal of ending Social Security.

[Freethinker65]

3. Mike's solutions to improve "solvency" include cuts to the program. But....

Biden has gotten these disingenuous GOP legislators to back down on their debt ceiling hostage taking threats. Go Biden!

Raise the cap.

[BeyondGeography]

4. So "phase out Social Security, pull it up from the roots, get rid of it"

is about honoring commitments?

Ok, Mike.

[Wounded Bear]

5. It's all in "code" talk. When they talk about "improving" or "strengthening" SS...

they are NOT talking about improving benefits or services for seniors. They are talking about profitizing it for the investor class.

I always use that filter when a repub starts bloviating about SS or any other social benefit program.

[RussBLib]

6. Semantics

It could be that no GOP'er has ever specifically tied cuts to SS and Medicare to raising the debt ceiling.

But we have ample evidence that many GOPers want cuts in SS and Medicare. Some, like Mike Lee, have stated that both programs should be pulled out by the roots.

Did he link increasing the debt limit directly to cutting SS and Medicare? No, but THEY WANT TO CUT THE PROGRAMS.

Semantics. Disingenuous lying assholes.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. Easy solution to debt: increase taxes.

[TxGuitar]

8. and implement the 'lockbox'

Al Gore was lambasted for talking about.

[aggiesal]

11. That's what I said ...

WH should ask to remove the Trump Tax cuts.
This will lower the debt and increase revenue at the same time.

[TxGuitar]

9. Yesterday Ari Melber said something like

A smacked dog always hollers.

[aggiesal]

12. "The (R)'s doth protest too much, methinks" n/t

[tavernier]

10. Gee, looks like Joe left a mark

when he slapped the piss out of Mike.

Aww.

[Thunderbeast]

13. One thing consistent with Republican administrations are tax cuts for wealthy Americans

Reagan, Bush, Trump...

Each of them championed bogus "supply side" economics on the Grover Norquist model of starving government by cutting revenues necessary for the common good. "Drown government in the bathtub" was the mantra.

The Social Security Trust Fund ran a surplus as a result of boomers contributing during their most productive work years. The actuarial time bomb was inevitable. Instead of maintaining a sustainable revenue stream (taxes), Republicans chose to issue un-sustainable public debt outside of trust fund borrowing. Rather than meeting obligations to retirees who paid into the system all of their lives, they want to walk away from these contracts, and essentially declare bankruptcy on the system. In the world of big business (I am talking to YOU, Donald), declaring bankruptcy is standard practice.

We should have seen it coming. They have told us for decades that they would run the country like a business. Are the layoffs and bankruptcies REALLY a surprise while the wealthy take all of the cash?

[Justice matters.]

15. TAX the obscenely-wealthy fat cats up to FDR Levels.

And use these entrants to pay the national debt.

[aggiesal]

18. Social Security does not work that way ...

Last edited Fri Feb 10, 2023, 10:48 AM - Edit history (2)

The trust fund surplus is used to pay the baby-boomers. When amount paid out exceed amounts received, the trust fund is used to cover the difference.
We started doubling our SS payments back in the 80's.
The SS trust fund grew until about 2011, and expect to last until about 2042, now reduced to about 2037. This is what is running out, but this is by design.
After the SS Trust Fund is depleted, everyone could still receive 76% of their amount without SS running out of money.
If SS threshold is increased to $500K instead of the current $148K in 2022, now $160,200 for 2023, $500K would allow SS to pay literally twice what recipients are receiving now. But that amount would hit the wealthy, so it's one of the reasons they vote for (R)'s.

[maxsolomon]

14. If you're explaining, you're losing.

UT should be ashamed to return this clown to the Senate over and over.

But, it's UT.

[oregonjen]

16. The problem with his statement is there is video proof of him vowing to gut ss

The 3 minute mark…

[Arthur_Frain]

17. So the problem isn't social security or Medicare

It’s that congress stole the money.

Time to garnishee some wages to get that money back.

[aggiesal]

19. Congress did not steal the money, they borrowed it, replaced with US Bonds. ...

This was a good deal for SS by getting more money from interest.
As I remember.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

20. "This morning, the White House sent Playbook some receipts to jog Lee's memory."

Link to tweet