The Gander: “More than 2 million seniors in Michigan currently rely on Social Security and Medicare to afford housing, utility bills, groceries, and life-saving prescription medications.”
LANSING — The Gander has reported that Mike Rogers, Peter Meijer, and Justin Amash all have extensive records that support “slashing Social Security or Medicare benefits.” The story notes that “more than 2 million seniors in Michigan currently rely on Social Security and Medicare to afford housing, utility bills, groceries, and life-saving prescription medications.” Cuts to Social Security would rip away Michiganders’ benefits that they worked a lifetime to earn and raise health care costs.
Rogers stated that “the federal government should ‘rethink what retirement looks like’ and also suggested that the retirement age may need to be increased.” Rogers voted for a federal budget plan that would have caused seniors to “spend more out-of-pocket on healthcare expenses” and legislation to “limit prescription drug benefits for Medicare recipients.”
Meijer “referred to Social Security and Medicare as ‘entitlements’ rather than hard-earned benefits,” and he said “the federal government needs to make changes to both programs to prevent them from becoming insolvent in the future.”
Amash “voted in support of budget bills that would’ve raised the retirement age for Social Security” and voted for Trump’s 2017 tax giveaway bill which “increased the federal deficit—the growth of which threatens future funding for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and more.”
Read the Gander’s reporting on the Michigan GOP Senate candidates’ vow to “slash” Social Security and Medicare:
The Gander: GOP Senate candidates’ records suggest they’d back cuts to Social Security and Medicare
- Three Republican candidates running to represent Michigan in the US Senate have voiced support for slashing Social Security or Medicare benefits, which more than 2 million Michiganders rely on to afford housing, utility bills, groceries, prescription drugs, and more.
- Among them: Former US Reps. Mike Rogers, Peter Meijer, and Justin Amash—all of whom are GOP candidates in the Aug. 6 primary election.
- Former President Donald Trump this week expressed openness to cutting Social Security and Medicare. During a Monday appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Trump said “there is a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting,” referencing possible cuts to Social Security and Medicare.
- Trump has a long history of opposition to the programs. He once supported raising the retirement age and privatizing Social Security, which he described as a “Ponzi scheme.” He also proposed cuts to Social Security and Medicare every year he was in the White House.
- [Trump’s] most recent suggestion was met with sharp criticism from both sides of the aisle—including from Michigan retirees who have spent decades paying into both programs throughout their careers.
- Michigan seniors are nonetheless sounding the alarm over the threat Trump poses to the programs.
- “Michigan workers deserve to be able to retire with dignity, but a second Trump administration would threaten that ability,” Jim Pedersen, president of the Michigan Alliance for Retired Americans, said at a press conference this week. “If Trump gets his way, he would strip funding for these programs and cut the benefits that serve as lifelines for seniors across our state.”
- When asked about what he will do to protect Social Security benefits during a candidate forum last year in New Hampshire, Rogers said the federal government should “rethink what retirement looks like” and also suggested that the retirement age may need to be increased.
- “Every option is going to have to be on the table,” Rogers said.
- During his time in Congress, Rogers voted in support of a federal budget plan that sought to replace Medicare’s guarantee of coverage with a voucher-based program, raise the age of eligibility from 65 to 67, and shift substantial treatment costs to Medicare beneficiaries. Under this plan, Michigan seniors would have had to spend more out-of-pocket on healthcare expenses.
- Rogers also voted in support of legislation to limit prescription drug benefits for Medicare recipients, and voted against giving Medicare the power to negotiate prescription drug prices directly with drug companies.
- During a recent radio appearance, Meijer, like Trump, referred to Social Security and Medicare as “entitlements” rather than hard-earned benefits, noting that the federal government needs to make changes to both programs to prevent them from becoming insolvent in the future.
- “Congress has, you know, just completely ignored trying to make, trying to get to the point where Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid don’t go bankrupt,” Meijer said.
- … Meijer and some other Republicans have endorsed raising the retirement age or reducing benefits to address the programs’ long-term solvency…
- [Amash] voted in support of budget bills that would’ve raised the retirement age for Social Security. He also voted in support of Trump’s 2017 corporate tax cut, the so-called Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which increased the federal deficit—the growth of which threatens future funding for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and more.
- More than 2 million seniors in Michigan currently rely on Social Security and Medicare to afford housing, utility bills, groceries, and life-saving prescription medications, among other things.
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