The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare is tremendously disappointed in the House Budget Committee’s vote to favorably report the Fiscal Commission Act of 2023 out of committee. This is the final step in the legislative process before the bill comes to the House floor for a vote.
“A fiscal commission is designed to give individual members of Congress political cover for cutting Americans’ earned benefits. Any changes to Social Security and Medicare should go through regular order and not be relegated to a commission unaccountable to the public and rushed through the Congress. This bill should be opposed by any member of Congress who cares about Social Security, Medicare, and their constituents who depend on them. – Max Richtman, president and CEO, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
If the aim of a fiscal commission is to address the federal debt, members of Congress should be aware that Social Security and Medicare Part A are fully self-funded and do not contribute to the debt. The biggest drivers of the debt are ‘tax expenditures’ – giveaways to the wealthy and large corporations like the Trump/GOP tax cuts of 2017 that Republicans insist be extended.
If the aim of a fiscal commission is to shore up Social Security’s finances, members should support legislation introduced by Democrats which would keep the program’s trust fund solvent without cutting benefits — by asking the wealthy to contribute their fair share.
President Biden rightly called commissions of this kind ‘death panels’ for Social Security and Medicare. We urge all House members who claim to champion these vital programs for seniors to reject the Fiscal Commission Act of 2023.
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Media inquiries contact:
Walter Gottlieb