Social Security & Medicare Cuts
Social Security & Medicare Cuts
Is Congressman Rob Wittman a responsible leader for us?
In a recent analysis the Office of Management and Budget in its Mid-Season Review of the Budget of the U.S. Government estimates the federal deficit will surpass $1 trillion in 2019. That’s a year earlier than previously forecast.
So is that a problem?
Robert Samuelson of the Washington Post writes, “No one knows the consequences of these unprecedented peacetime deficits, but the CBO has listed some possibilities:
They may further raise interest rates, which would increase deficits, squeeze other federal programs and crowd out borrowing by businesses for factories, machinery, computers and buildings. This last effect could imperil living standards…
…We could face a full-blown debt crisis. As CBO Director Keith Hall testified, “investors would become unwilling to finance the government’s borrowing unless they were compensated with very high interest rates.” That could trigger draconian spending cuts or tax increases — and a stiff recession.”
There is great pressure to balance the budget with big spending cuts. Newsweek stated, “Florida Senator Marco Rubio admits that the Republican tax cut plan, which benefits corporations and the wealthy, will require cuts to Social Security and Medicare to pay for it.”
So how did we get here!
Rob Wittman contributed to this problem. In December he voted in H.R. 1, the Tax Reform Act, 2017, which reduced taxes a little for some, but a lot for others. This created a big hole in Federal revenues. Then he voted for H.R. 1625: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, which significantly increased government expenses.
Getting the picture? Wittman voted revenues down and expenses up, all begging cuts.
Inflation is also a likely, which would impact us all, especially the poor and those on fixed income. Today’s dollar would buy less in the future. Living expenses would go up.
So why did Congressman Wittman put us in this fiscal dilemma? Was he being fiscally responsible? Was he thinking of us or following his crowd? Should Rob Wittman be allowed to cut our Social Security and Medicare? We need a Representative who thinks of us.