Social Security Topics

Democracy Now! stories, posts and pages that relate to Social Security

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  • Play_rep_edwards

    Rep. Donna Edwards on Why She Voted Against Debt Deal: “A Bad Framework for the Future”

    President Obama has signed legislation to increase the U.S. debt ceiling in time to avoid a national default. The $2.1 trillion deficit-reduction plan cleared its final hurdle in the Senate yesterday, passing with a 74-to-26 vote. Six Democrats and 19 Republicans opposed the measure. Members of the Progressive Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus rejected the deal because of its massive cuts to domestic spending and a lack of tax increases...
    Aug 03, 2011 | Story
  • Play_jobs-economy

    Economist Dean Baker Predicts A "Really Bad Deal or No Deal" from Deficit "Super Committee"

    President Barack Obama welcomed the deficit deal as "an important first step" and urged both parties to work together on a larger plan to cut the deficit. The deal includes no new tax revenue from wealthy Americans and no additional stimulus for the lagging economy. It has a provision to create a joint committee of 12 legislators charged with finding $1.5 trillion in deficit cuts. The committee must hold its first meeting in 45 days...
    Aug 03, 2011 | Story
  • Us_debt_vote_button

    After Months of Partisan Wrangling, Wall Street & Pentagon Emerge Victorious on Debt Deal

    After months of a bitterly partisan stalemate, the U.S. House of Representatives has voted 269 to 161 in favor of raising the federal borrowing limit and avoiding a default on the national debt. The final count showed 174 Republican ayes, with Democrats split evenly—95 on each side. The vote came just hours before a Department of Treasury deadline that potentially would have seen the United States run out of cash and default for the first time...
    Aug 02, 2011 | Story
  • Obama_debt_button

    Debt Lock: Will Obama Make Cuts to Social Security and Medicare?

    As President Obama tries to broker a compromise budget deal that would allow Congress to raise the national debt ceiling before an August 2 deadline, he may appease Republicans by cutting funding for Medicare and Social Security. Congressional Democrats say they have ruled out any gutting of Social Security, but there are concerns the cuts could still be achieved through a backhanded approach. Retiree benefits are set by the Consumer Price Index,...
    Jul 12, 2011 | Story
  • Tax-cuts

    Reps. Rush Holt and Raúl Grijalva on House Democratic Opposition to Obama's Tax Deal with GOP

    The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on President Obama’s controversial tax deal with Republicans following its approval in the U.S. Senate. While taxes on the wealthy will decrease under the proposal, some tax experts are predicting taxes on the poor will actually increase. We speak to Democratic Congressmembers Rush Holt of New Jersey and Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, who say they will vote against the deal. [includes rush transcript]
    Dec 16, 2010 | Story
  • Commission

    Obama Deficit Commission Criticized for Proposals to Slash Social Security, Medicare

    The co-chairmen of the bipartisan presidential deficit commission released a list of recommendations Wednesday on ways to reduce the nation’s deficit by $4 trillion by 2020. Co-chairmen Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson have proposed raising the retirement age for Social Security to 69 by the year 2075, decreasing the cost of living benefits for Social Security recipients, imposing new limits on the Medicare health insurance program, and ending...
    Nov 11, 2010 | Story
  • Dean-baker

    Part II: Social Security Under Attack: Cuts Proposed, Higher Retirement Age Suggested

    We speak with Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research. Watch Part I.
    Jul 19, 2010 | Web Exclusive
  • Socialsecuritycard

    Social Security Under Attack: Cuts Proposed, Higher Retirement Age Suggested

    The attacks on Social Security have steadily intensified in the past few months. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer recently called for a higher retirement age, and House Minority Leader John Boehner suggested raising the retirement age to seventy. Meanwhile, President Obama’s bipartisan eighteen-member commission dealing with the nation’s public debt is due to come out with a report in November that is expected to recommend cuts to...
    Jul 19, 2010 | Story