Protect Social Security and Medicare

We're in an all-fronts fight to stop trillions of dollars of cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits. Tell your Senator: Draw a line in the sand against Social Security and Medicare cuts. Sign the petition! E-mail this to your friends!

Not only did President Obama confirm reports on Monday that he's offered Republicans a deal in debt ceiling negotiations that includes these cuts, the Huffington Post reported that Obama has even floated a deal to raise the age for Medicare eligibility from 65 to 67.1 years old. (Moderator: In other words, work until the day you drop, then hope you're eligible to get healthcare.) 

Unfortunately, President Obama has preemptively caved to Republicans again (who have a longstanding desire to destroy these programs) when he should be drawing a line in the sand to protect programs that are immensely popular with a broad majority of the American people.

One crucial way to reverse President Obama's pre-emptive caving is to get Democrats on the record saying they simply won't vote for a deal with these cuts.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has introduced a resolution that draws a line in the sand on cuts to these sacred programs in deficit negotiations. The Senate must send a message to President Obama by passing this resolution ASAP.

The simple fact of the matter is that Republicans are willing to tank the economy for their perceived electoral benefit. And they're willing to drive our economy into another recession rather than raise taxes on the Koch brothers. If anything we should be expanding crucial programs like Medicare and Social Security, not cutting them during this time of extreme economic duress.

In similar situations in the past, the White House has cut a deal with Republicans and pressured Democrats to support the deal after the fact.

We can't let that happen this time. And pressure from Senate Democrats can help stop President Obama from trying to play the reasonable negotiator with Republican hostage takers, and back away from the horrible deal he is proposing.

Tell your senator to support the Whitehouse Resolution and help Senate Democrats draw a line in the sand against Medicare and Social Security benefit cuts. Sign the petition! We hope it will encourage the President to do the same.

Here is the text of the Senator Whitehouse Resolution:

Sense of the Senate on Protecting Social Security and Medicare: (a) Findings -- Congress makes the following findings: (1) Over 34 million retired workers currently receive Social Security benefits -- averaging a modest $14,100 a year. (2) In 2008, 23% of retirees receiving Social Security depended on it for all or almost all of their income. (3) According to the AARP, Social Security kept 36% of seniors out of poverty in 2008. (4) Reducing Social Security benefits would cause many seniors to have to choose between food and drugs and rent and heat. (5) Ninety-five percent of seniors -- almost 37 million in 2008 -- get their health coverage through Medicare. (6) Without Medicare, seniors -- many of whom live off of Social Security -- would have to turn to the costly and uncertain private market for health insurance. (7) Social Security and Medicare are extremely successful social insurance programs that permit America's seniors to retire with dignity and security after a lifetime of hard work, and relieve young American families of worry about their own futures, allowing freedom of opportunity in America.  (b) Sense of the Senate: It is the Sense of the Senate that any agreement to reduce the budget deficit should not include cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits.

Notes:
1. "Obama Offered To Raise Medicare Eligibility Age As Part Of Grand Debt Deal" Huffington Post, July 11, 2011