LANSING — As Donald Trump again proposes cutting Social Security and Medicare, Mike Rogers, Peter Meijer, Sandy Pensler, and Justin Amash have all echoed Trump’s disastrous call to gut Social Security. Cuts to Social Security would raise health care costs and rip away Michiganders’ benefits that they worked a lifetime to earn.
Here’s where candidates in Michigan’s GOP Senate primary stand on gutting Social Security:
- Mike Rogers said we have to rethink “what retirement looks like” and “every option is gonna have to be on the table” when asked about Social Security.
- Peter Meijer said it was time to look “at our entitlements” because even if discretionary spending was curbed, Congress was still “spending far more than we’re taking in” because they were trying to “get to a point where Social Security” didn’t “go bankrupt.”
- Sandy Pensler described the deficit as “crazy” and said it’s almost “$100 trillion when you throw in retiree, medical, Social Security.”
- Justin Amash voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which would have increased the federal debt, and Republicans planned to pay for it with cuts to Medicare and Social Security. Amash also voted for Republican Study Committee budgets that included raising the retirement age for Social Security.
See for yourself:
WMUR Conversation with the Candidate: When asked about Social Security, Rogers answered: “And then we’re going to have to take every option is gonna have to be on the table.”
WMUR Conversation with the Candidate: Rogers: “We’re just going to have a rethink about what work and what retirement looks like…”
WJR JR Morning: Meijer: “And at the same time, we need to be looking at our entitlements because you can get all of our discretionary spending in line, and we will still be spending far more than we’re taking in because 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, number one.”
Oakland County Republican Party Event: Pensler: “Let’s look at our deficit. It’s crazy… But I can see it’s not 34 trillion that we have of debt. We’ve got almost 100 trillion when you throw in retiree medical, Social Security. Like I have to do on my balance sheet and if any of you guys do with your company, it’s 100 trillion. Well, that’s such a big number most people can’t comprehend it.”
The Hill: The GOP’s signature tax law is projected to increase the national debt by $1.9 trillion between 2018 and 2028, according to a new report by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
U.S. News & World Report: After Tax Overhaul, GOP Sets Sights on Medicare, Social Security
- Instead, the most likely targets for cuts and restructuring in the coming months are likely to be Medicare and Social Security benefits.
The Hill: While Ryan calls for implementing his “premium support” plan for future beneficiaries age 54 and younger, the RSC budget would start the change for people 59 and below.
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