RI VS Obama: Delegation Stands Up To President
Saturday, July 09, 2011
Rhode Island’s Congressional Delegation is prepared to stand in opposition to President Obama’s sudden decision to bring potential cuts to Social Security and Medicare to the table as part of the ongoing negotiations over the national deficit.
This week, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney confirmed that while the President doesn’t believe slashing entitlement programs is the long-term answer to solving the country’s debt ceiling troubles, there are no preconditions ruling out cuts at the bargaining table between the Republicans and Obama.
But while the four members of the Delegation say they understand the need to balance the budget, they are unwilling to budge when it comes to cuts to essential entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare, especially as two members prepare to face serious challenges in 2012.
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In a telephone press conference Friday, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said now is not the time to cut programs that are so vital to millions of Americans.
“It’s pretty clear that, particularly now in this time of economic distress, attacks on Social Security and Medicare are really wrong for the country,” Whitehouse said.
The Senator’s comments came a day after he delivered a speech on the Senate floor expressing his concern over talks about entitlement programs emerging as part of the national debt debate. Whitehouse said he is firmly opposed to any cuts to these programs.
"It is my strong belief, however, that any agreement must be based on real savings and must not be made at the expense of our most vulnerable citizens,” he said. “That is why I am concerned that Social Security and Medicare have been raised as possible sources of deficit reduction. Cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits should not be on the table.”
Reed Blasts Republicans
Obama has long stood opposed to cuts to Social Security and Medicare, but this week he faced criticism from Democrats for not completely ruling them out in his current negotiations. On Friday, Carney said the President’s stance has never changed.
“Well, the point we have made all along -- and this goes back a ways with the President -- is that we need to get savings out of entitlement programs,” Carney said. “He made that clear when he gave his address at George Washington University and put forward his framework. That is our position. And we think it is absolutely necessary.”
In a statement to GoLocalProv, Senator Jack Reed said Rhode Islanders do not want to see cuts to Social Security and Medicare and said Republicans should be willing to work with Democrats to create solutions.
“Rhode Islanders care about jobs and that has to be part of the discussions on the budget. I don’t think many Rhode Islanders are demanding a lopsided budget that just cuts Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid but preserves taxpayer giveaways to big oil companies,” Reed said. “Rhode Islanders know balancing the budget won’t be easy, but they want a responsible plan that doesn’t unfairly harm the middle class. The Republican leadership’s strategy seems to be refusing to pay the bills they ran up under President Bush which jeopardizes the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Instead Republicans should work with Democrats to responsibly control spending and spur job creation.”
Langevin: I Will Not Support Cutting Medicare Or Social Security
Congressman James Langevin agreed with Reed. He said he understands the need to get the country’s fiscal house in order and that spending cuts and tax increases will need to be a part of the discussion. But he ruled out supporting cuts to Medicare or Social Security.
“Entitlement reforms are possible, as demonstrated by the health care reform bill’s $500 billion in Medicare savings without the privatization Republicans have proposed, but I will not support any reforms that cut Medicare or Social Security benefits for our most vulnerable populations,” Langevin said. “We can’t balance the budget solely on the backs of seniors and middle class Americans.”
Like Reed, Langevin called on Republicans to bring realistic solutions to the table.
“We cannot afford to keep giving tax breaks to the wealthiest few when working families are paying more than their fair share,” he said. “Democrats have shown the willingness to come to the table and make difficult choices and I believe we will reach a deal that averts fiscal disaster if Republicans will do the same.”
Honor Our Promises
Freshman Congressman David Cicilline, a member of the Progressive Caucus which has been highly critical of the potential cuts in recent days, said difficult decisions are on the horizon for Democrats and Republicans. He said reducing the debt is essential, but it must be done the right way.
“We’re at a critical moment in our nation’s history where we must make some very difficult decisions to get our nation’s spending under control and preserve the values of our country reflected in programs like Social Security and Medicare,” Cicilline said. “This task will test the will of both parties to make the hard choices ahead. We need to responsibly reduce the deficit, while also making the necessary investments that will create jobs now and guarantee the future prosperity of our economy.”
Cicilline made it clear he believes the country needs to live up to the promises it has made to senior citizens.
“We must, of course, cut spending, but we have to do it in a way that promotes our fragile economic recovery, protects the middle class who work hard and play by the rules, and honors the promises we made to our nation’s seniors,” he said.
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