House Members Butt Heads Over Social Security’s Role in Debt Ceiling Talk

As potential cuts to Social Security remain on the table in the discussion about how to reduce the federal debt, members of a House Ways and Means subcommittee went head to head over the issue.

In his opening statement today, California representative Xavier Becerra argued to leave Social Security out of debt ceiling talks.

“Social Security has never contributed a dime to the nations $14.3 trillion debt, not a penny to our federal deficit or any year of our nation’s history, yet some in this town insist that we should cut Social Security benefits for seniors to pay for these deficits, deficits run up over the last 10 years principally as a consequence of fighting two unpaid for wars and giving unpaid for tax cuts to millionaires,” said Becerra. “Most Americans would say it is immoral and un-American for this Congress to tax Peter to pay for Paul’s sins, to make retirees, widows, disabled workers and children who rely on Social Security pay for the Bush debt. How can that be right?”

Several Congress members countered Becerra’s statement Friday.

North Dakota Representative Rick Berg said, “We have a lot of attention today because I think the president has recognized this as an issue that should be talked about, should be debated. Everybody I’ve talked to back in North Dakota is concerned about Social Security, and I think it’s been used as a political football by different people, different interests all along. Why are we in this debt crisis right now today? We’re in it because we’ve got 14.3 trillion in debt, and we don’t have any more money.”

Would like to see Social Security cuts taken off the table as the federal deficit is debated?

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