Social Security belongs to the American people. It is not Obama's to bargain with.

[Triana]

15. It's great that such protections might be included. However....

.... Seniors would see smaller Social Security checks under Obama budget

http://money.cnn.com/2013/04/10/news/economy/chained-cpi-social-security/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Senior citizens would see their Social Security checks shrink under President Obama's latest budget proposal.

The budget plan, released Wednesday, calls for changing the way the annual cost of living adjustments for Social Security and other federal programs are calculated. Shifting to "chained CPI" from the current inflation measure could reduce the federal debt by $230 billion, but it would also mean that seniors would get smaller increases in their Social Security payments each year.

The president's proposal would provide protections for the oldest seniors, low-income seniors and veterans, and those who are disabled. Seniors ages 76 to 85 would receive a supplemental payment annually to offset some of the slowdown in growth. Also, programs that are geared for those in or near poverty, such as the Supplemental Security Income, would be exempt from the switch to chained CPI.

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My question: Why not add these protections WITHOUT the cuts? Again, WHY ANY CUTS at all? Why not raise FICA rates or raise the cap?

It's still quite senseless and wrong-headed. Social Security is NOT the problem. JOBS are the problem. Social Security is solvent for another decade or two. Small tweaks (NOT cuts) are needed to make it solvent beyond that ie: raise FICA or the cap. Why the rush to CUT it in tandem with budget negotiations now?

Senseless.