Note to Democratic Senators: Stay away from these guys.
Beware. There's another bipartisan gang of senators at work, and as usual they have Social Security in their sights.Trying to avoid the cuts to defense
they all voted for with the Budget Control Act last year, these senators are once again bleating for "shared sacrifice" and
genuflecting to the failed Catfood Commission co-chairs.
First, senators would come to an agreement on a deficit reduction target — likely to be around $4 trillion over 10 years — to be reached through revenue raised by an overhaul of the tax code, savings from changes to social programs like Medicare and Social Security, and cuts to federal programs. Once the framework is approved, lawmakers would vote on expedited instructions to relevant Congressional committees to draft the details over six months to a year.
If those efforts failed, another plan would take effect, probably a close derivative of the proposal by President Obama’s fiscal commission led by Erskine B. Bowles, the Clinton White House chief of staff, and former Senator Alan K. Simpson of Wyoming, a Republican. Those recommendations included changes to Social Security, broad cuts in federal programs and actions that would lower tax rates over all but eliminate or pare enough deductions and credits to yield as much as $2 trillion in additional revenue.
Finally, they would vote to put off the automatic spending cuts, known as sequestration, and tax increases scheduled to hit all at once in January — but with some deficit reduction down payment to signal how serious Congress is.
If these bipartisan gangs of senators were ever as committed to putting America back to work as they are making old people suffer, then we might be seeing enough revenue and a robust enough economy to stop worrying about the deficit.
Much of what happens will depend on the outcome of the election, of course, but there will still be a gang of lame duck senators who want their legacy sealed in some kind of "grand bargain" that finally "deals" with entitlements. Which is, of course, political suicide for Democrats, if they haven't figured that out by now. A deal to cut Social Security will be the cornerstone of the Republicans' 2014 campaign, and every campaign in the near future.
We need a new Senate. And we need an good infusion of real Democrats who are committed to protecting Social Security. Like all of the Senators on Orange to Blue.
Please donate $1 to each of the Senate candidates on Upgrade the Senate.