General Discussion

Report1212

(661 posts) Thu Dec 20, 2012, 11:46 AM Dec 2012

Congressman Keith Ellison: ‘We Will NOT Be Voting For Any Cuts’ To Social Security Benefits

Yes! Click the link below to go to a tool to call your Member of Congress, and also to watch the video of Keith.

ELLISON: Well the first thing that we can do is to let them know that we will not be voting for any cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. We’ve already fired off a whole number of missives on that exact point, we’re making our position very clear, we’re organizing caucus members, we’ve got a letter with 102 people on it, saying that we will not vote for anything that cuts Social Security, communicating that to our leadership and the White House. We’re firm on that. We’re talking internally to make sure the people are going to stay strong. And that’s what we’re doing, we’re letting folks know where we stand so they can go back and recalculate and come up with something else. Because we’re not going to solve these fiscal problems of the backs of the seniors, of the disabled, of the survivors.

Read more: http://boldprogressives.org/congressman-keith-ellison-we-will-not-be-voting-for-any-cuts-to-social-security-benefits/

24 replies

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Congressman Keith Ellison: ‘We Will NOT Be Voting For Any Cuts’ To Social Security Benefits (Original Post) Report1212 Dec 2012 OP

102 house members means we've already got the majority of Dems on board! reformist2 Dec 2012 #1

Lets hope there are many more Harmony Blue Dec 2012 #7

Indeed, if we can get up to 150-160 Dems, Obama will be in huge trouble with his own party. reformist2 Dec 2012 #13

If you lived on my street, you would know he is already plethoro Dec 2012 #16

I called my rep, and told her to please vote no. closeupready Dec 2012 #2

Who is your rep? nt Report1212 Dec 2012 #6

Nydia Velazquez - love her; she's reliably liberal closeupready Dec 2012 #11

Good at least somebody has some backbone. n/t Ganja Ninja Dec 2012 #3

Ellison also pledged not to vote for a health care bill that didn't have a public option, then PoliticAverse Dec 2012 #4

Contrary to what the propaganda machine has been telling people, BlueCaliDem Dec 2012 #18

Let's just call it "a reduction in future benefit payments compared to current law". n/t PoliticAverse Dec 2012 #22

Just called my rep. Couldn't get a straight answer even though I got an email yesterday from forestpath Dec 2012 #5

emailed mine this morning, will call later today. Sherman A1 Dec 2012 #8

My congressman is a bagger. pennylane100 Dec 2012 #9

Doesn't matter Report1212 Dec 2012 #10

The wording gives them an out n2doc Dec 2012 #12

And Pelosi is going with it "strengthens Social Security". n/t PoliticAverse Dec 2012 #14

But in the wording they do say chained CPI is a cut Report1212 Dec 2012 #15

In the long run, a reduction in the growth of benefits is tantamount to a cut meow2u3 Dec 2012 #24

K & R !!! WillyT Dec 2012 #17

They should also NOT vote for Nancy Pelosi or any other cut supporter as Minority Leader. ieoeja Dec 2012 #19

I have to agree. Time for new leadership. reformist2 Dec 2012 #20

This is a set up. They will lose. We need complete Dustlawyer Dec 2012 #21

I e-mailed and called my congressman, no response. He only contacts me when he wants money. olegramps Dec 2012 #23

reformist2

(9,841 posts)

1. 102 house members means we've already got the majority of Dems on board!

Reply to Report1212 (Original post)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 11:50 AM

Dec 2012

Harmony Blue

(3,978 posts)

7. Lets hope there are many more

Reply to reformist2 (Reply #1)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 11:59 AM

Dec 2012

because frankly....we need some good news for a change...

reformist2

(9,841 posts)

13. Indeed, if we can get up to 150-160 Dems, Obama will be in huge trouble with his own party.

Reply to Harmony Blue (Reply #7)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 12:10 PM

Dec 2012

plethoro

(594 posts)

16. If you lived on my street, you would know he is already

Reply to reformist2 (Reply #13)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 01:16 PM

Dec 2012

in trouble. They called a street meeting yesterday, which was weird because they haven't done that in 34 years. These folks almost all voted for Obama. They are furious.

closeupready

(29,503 posts)

2. I called my rep, and told her to please vote no.

Reply to Report1212 (Original post)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 11:51 AM

Dec 2012

Her office stated she opposes any change, but that they are still looking at proposals.

Report1212

(661 posts)

6. Who is your rep? nt

Reply to closeupready (Reply #2)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 11:57 AM

Dec 2012

closeupready

(29,503 posts)

11. Nydia Velazquez - love her; she's reliably liberal

Reply to Report1212 (Reply #6)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 12:05 PM

Dec 2012

on just about every single issue.

Ganja Ninja

(15,953 posts)

3. Good at least somebody has some backbone. n/t

Reply to Report1212 (Original post)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 11:54 AM

Dec 2012

PoliticAverse

(26,366 posts)

4. Ellison also pledged not to vote for a health care bill that didn't have a public option, then

Reply to Report1212 (Original post)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 11:54 AM

Dec 2012

'proudly voted' for the PPACA.

http://ellison.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=35&Itemid=19

BlueCaliDem

(15,438 posts)

18. Contrary to what the propaganda machine has been telling people,

Reply to PoliticAverse (Reply #4)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 02:23 PM

Dec 2012

there IS a public option buried within the PPACA.

U.S. Set to Sponsor Health Insurance
By ROBERT PEAR
Published: October 27, 2012

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration will soon take on a new role as the sponsor of at least two nationwide health insurance plans to be operated under contract with the federal government and offered to consumers in every state.

These multistate plans were included in President Obama’s health care law as a substitute for a pure government-run health insurance program — the public option sought by many liberal Democrats and reviled by Republicans. Supporters of the national plans say they will increase competition in state health insurance markets, many of which are dominated by a handful of companies.

I believe it was a misprint by the NYT. It should've read "single-payer" in place of "public option".

That said, the salient point regarding the public option is made by none other than The Heritage Foundation in the same article:

Robert E. Moffit, a senior fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said he worried that “the nationwide health plans, operating under terms and conditions set by the federal government, will become the robust public option that liberals always wanted.”

Also, there are no cuts being proposed to social security's basic benefits, and Ellison, unlike many people here, knows this darn well. Should Boehner be able to get the TeaBaggers to vote to pass this offer (which is HIGHLY unlikely, and President Obama knows it), it would not constitute any cuts in benefits.

PoliticAverse

(26,366 posts)

22. Let's just call it "a reduction in future benefit payments compared to current law". n/t

Reply to BlueCaliDem (Reply #18)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 02:52 PM

Dec 2012

Last edited Thu Dec 20, 2012, 05:10 PM - Edit history (1)

forestpath

(3,102 posts)

5. Just called my rep. Couldn't get a straight answer even though I got an email yesterday from

Reply to Report1212 (Original post)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 11:55 AM

Dec 2012

the Progressive Change campaign saying he had agreed to vote against any SS cuts (Gerry Connolly, who is a Democrat, VA's 11 District).

I have called his office about this 3 times in the past week.

And I just finally managed to get through on the White House's comment line. But I'm also sending snail mail.

Sherman A1

(38,958 posts)

8. emailed mine this morning, will call later today.

Reply to Report1212 (Original post)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 12:00 PM

Dec 2012

we need to let them know our opinions on this.

pennylane100

(3,425 posts)

9. My congressman is a bagger.

Reply to Report1212 (Original post)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 12:02 PM

Dec 2012

Report1212

(661 posts)

10. Doesn't matter

Reply to pennylane100 (Reply #9)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 12:03 PM

Dec 2012

Ask them to vote against a deal. That's all they have to do.

n2doc

(47,953 posts)

12. The wording gives them an out

Reply to Report1212 (Original post)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 12:10 PM

Dec 2012

The change in chained CPI, as has been pointed out by several ardent Obama supporters here at DU, is not exactly a cut. It is a reduction in the growth of benefits. That's how they can get themselves out of this type of pledge when Pelosi brings the hammer down on them.

That doesn't make it less nasty, given that we already underestimate real inflation in the CPI. Especially for medicine, heating, and food.

I don't support ANY change in benefits, except to increase them. And this is what they should agree to as well.

PoliticAverse

(26,366 posts)

14. And Pelosi is going with it "strengthens Social Security". n/t

Reply to n2doc (Reply #12)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 12:25 PM

Dec 2012

Report1212

(661 posts)

15. But in the wording they do say chained CPI is a cut

Reply to n2doc (Reply #12)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 12:28 PM

Dec 2012

So that's hard to escape. I'm talking about the official CPC statement.

meow2u3

(24,774 posts)

24. In the long run, a reduction in the growth of benefits is tantamount to a cut

Reply to n2doc (Reply #12)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 03:07 PM

Dec 2012

The chained CPI deliberately understates inflation.

WillyT

(72,631 posts)

17. K & R !!!

Reply to Report1212 (Original post)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 02:22 PM

Dec 2012

ieoeja

(9,748 posts)

19. They should also NOT vote for Nancy Pelosi or any other cut supporter as Minority Leader.

Reply to Report1212 (Original post)

Thu Dec 20, 2012, 02:30 PM

Dec 2012

Give that job to one of the Progressives. Or to one of the non-Progressives who signed this letter. It is way past time to remove the opposition from leadership positions within our party.