Social Security, Medicare clash comes down to what constitutes a ‘cut’
by Mike Lillis - 03/06/23 6:00 AM ET
The coming battles over the nation’s safety-net programs are beginning with an early clash over a thorny question of semantics: What constitutes a cut?
In the eyes of many Democrats, any change to Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security that erodes benefits provided under current law would be considered a cut — and therefore stands as a nonstarter with liberals as Congress seeks ways to rein in deficit spending.
Across the aisle, Republicans have long promoted a series of safety-net changes — including proposals to hike eligibility ages, reduce benefits for wealthier seniors and tweaked cost-of-living adjustments to produce long-term government savings — which they see as necessary “reforms” in the effort to shore up entitlement finances for the sake of future generations.
The feuding portrayals — cuts versus reforms — are already playing a pivotal role in the political messaging war that will accompany Capitol Hill’s looming budget battles, as Republicans seek to slash federal spending and Congress scrambles to prevent a government default over the summer and a shutdown later in the year.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3883429-social-security-medicare-clash-comes-down-to-what-constitutes-a-cut/
