All through final night time’s State of the Union cope with, President Joe Biden stated accused Republicans of in need of to strip Medicare and Social Security by means of permitting the methods to “sundown.”
“As an alternative of constructing the rich pay their justifiable share, some Republicans need Social Security and Medicare to sundown,” Biden persevered. “I am not pronouncing it is the majority of you.”
Joe Biden is mendacity about Social Security and Medicare.
— Space Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) February 8, 2023
This used to be met with boos, heckling and shouts from lawmakers like Marjorie Taylor Greene pronouncing Biden used to be a “liar.”
A number of Republicans tweeted that Biden’s advice used to be unfaithful, including Representative Jerry Carl.
The President is mendacity to you when he says Republicans need to reduce Medicare or Social Security.
— Rep. Jerry Carl (@RepJerryCarl) February 8, 2023
Biden clarified, pronouncing he didn’t imply a majority of Republicans strengthen chopping Medicare and Social Security, however it’s being proposed by means of people he’s “courteously” no longer naming.
Do Republicans Want To Lower Medicare And Social Security?
Over the last few years, the White Space has accused Republicans of in need of to chop Medicare and Social Security. And as GOP lawmakers suggest spending cuts to boost the debt ceiling, Democrats worry Republicans imply to affect the ones get advantages methods.
However after the interruptions and heckling all the way through the speech final night time, an settlement used to be then it sounds as if made. Biden gave the impression to interpret the outrage from Republicans as a bipartisan settlement to give protection to the ones insurance policies.
If someone tries to chop Social Security, I can prevent them.
And if someone tries to chop Medicare, I can prevent them.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) February 8, 2023
“We agree Medicare is off the books now,” he stated to a bipartisan status ovation. “We were given unanimity!”
He added that if someone tries to chop Social Security or Medicare, “which it sounds as if no person’s going to do,” he would prevent them with a veto.
All through his debt ceiling cope with final week, Space Speaker Kevin McCarthy stated cuts to Medicare and Social Security “are off the table” for debt restrict discussions.
Cuts to Medicare and Social Security are off the desk.
Defaulting on our debt isn’t an choice.
However nor is a long run of upper taxes, upper rates of interest, and an financial system that doesn’t paintings for running American citizens. pic.twitter.com/KhLEEhaNNx
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) February 6, 2023
McCarthy shared a graphic all the way through the cope with Tuesday night time claiming that Biden cut Medicare by $300 billion to fund green projects.
On Wednesday, the White Space shared a thread Wednesday noting GOP lawmakers who’ve threatened to chop those methods, together with Rick Allen, Mike Lee, Lindsay Graham, Ron Johnson and Steve Scalise.
Senator Rick Scott offered a plan that will sundown Social Security and Medicare each and every 5 years until Congress votes them again into life.https://t.co/spnUd4vyQg
— The White Space (@WhiteHouse) February 8, 2023
“If Republicans in Congress do not need to reduce Social Security and Medicare, they must suggest the cheap that displays it. Till then, all they have got were given is their document,” the White Space stated.
Republicans Explain Stance on Social Security
A number of Republicans have been at the protection after the cope with, claiming Biden’s accusations don’t seem to be true and promising Medicare and Social Security don’t seem to be in peril.
Rick Scott
Florida Senator Rick Scott clarified his potion of Social Security and Medicare after Biden’s cope with.
Biden has in the past criticized the senator’s plan. At an tournament for “reducing prices for American households” in Florida final November, Biden learn Scott’s plan for sunsetting regulation, calling it “outrageous.” The plan, then again, didn’t particularly reference Medicare or Social Security.
Scott stated his plan suggests that each one federal regulation sunsets in 5 years, and if it is price preserving, Congress can cross it once more.
“That is obviously and clearly an concept aimed toward coping with ALL the loopy new rules our Congress has been passing of overdue,” he informed Newsweek in a observation. “Joe Biden is puzzled…to indicate that this implies I need to reduce Social Security or Medicare is a lie, and is a unethical transfer.”
“That is the type of faux, gotcha BS that folks hate about Washington,” he persevered. “I have by no means advocated chopping Social Security or Medicare and not would.”
Scott added that Biden and the Democrats did reduce Medicare final yr and “they lie about it.”
Remaining August, Scott and different participants of the Senate Getting old Committee accused Biden of launching a “war on seniors” by means of chopping Medicare and elevating taxes in a recession.
He stated Biden’s “been supporting cuts to Medicare and Social Security for many years.”
Ron Johnson
Biden has criticized the Wisconsin Senators, together with Ron Johnson, previously for pronouncing 5 years is just too lengthy to attend to section out federal regulation.
The president stated Johnson believes those insurance policies must “be on the chopping block” once a year.
Senator Ron Johnson thinks 5 years is just too lengthy to attend. He needs to place the investment for Social Security and Medicare at the cutting block each and every unmarried yr.https://t.co/i06KXtHXlS
— The White Space (@WhiteHouse) February 8, 2023
In August, Johnson Medicare and Social Security must stop being federal entitlement methods, and as an alternative require approval once a year as “discretionary spending.”
“When you qualify for the entitlement, you simply get it it doesn’t matter what the price,” he stated. “And our downside on this nation is that greater than 70 p.c of our federal finances, of our federal spending, is all necessary spending. It is on automated pilot. It by no means, you simply do not do correct oversight. You do not get in there and fasten the methods going bankrupt.”
He later denied that he sought after to chop the methods.
Byron Donalds
Florida Consultant Bryon Donalds informed CNN Wednesday that the one individual pronouncing Republicans are making an allowance for Social Security cuts is Biden.
“He is been mendacity to the American other people,” he stated. “No Republican at the Hill has stated ‘Hi there for debt ceiling, we are going to have a look at Medicare and Social Security.’ It isn’t true.”
Joe Biden flat-out LIED when he stated Republicans need to see cuts to Medicare and Social Security within the debt ceiling negotiations.
As @SpeakerMcCarthy and lots of colleagues stated, we can NOT contact those methods when negotiating the Democrats’ Debt Ceiling. pic.twitter.com/FOQKZAt15Y
— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) February 8, 2023
Mike Lee
In a recap of the cope with with Utah Governor Spencer Cox, Utah senator Mike Lee stated Biden made false claims about Republicans in his speech.
“The President of america appeared us proper within the eye and mischaracterized what part the folks within the chamber imagine,” he stated.
Mike Lee Discusses: SOTU with @GovCox
“The President of america appeared us proper within the eye and mischaracterized what part the folks within the chamber imagine.” – Sen. Lee pic.twitter.com/GUp04Z9GCk
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) February 8, 2023
He added that the president made a number of claims that have been unfaithful.
A video from 2010 has resurfaced lately, then again, appearing Lee’s intentions to “section out” Social Security.
“I am right here at the moment to inform you something in case you have by no means heard from a political candidate: It’ll be my goal to section out Social Security, to tug it up from the roots and eliminate it,” Lee stated all the way through a marketing campaign prevent February 23, 2010, in Cache Valley, Utah. “Individuals who advise me politically at all times inform me it is unhealthy and I inform them, ‘If so it isn’t price my operating.’ That is why I am doing this, to eliminate that. Medicare and Medicaid are of the similar type, they wish to be pulled up.”
Senator Mike Lee stuck ON TAPE pronouncing he needs to “section out Social Security, pull it up from the roots, eliminate it.”
Unfold this all over the place.
HE NEEDS TO LOSE. pic.twitter.com/wqUVygu7dR— BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) November 3, 2022
Lee has additionally said that he used to be in opposition to “entitlement methods” that “redistribute wealth,” noting the ones methods don’t seem to be within the Charter.
Steve Scalise
Louisiana Consultant Steve Scalise stated accusations like the only Biden made Tuesday had been “occurring for some time.”
“I’m hoping the president stops looking to inform that tale. He no less than said on the finish that Republicans need to give a boost to Social Security and there is not any plan to eliminate it,” he stated.
Scalise, the second-highest score Space Republican, added Republicans need to give a boost to Social Security.
No remark from McCarthy as he walked into place of job after the speech. Scalise didn’t elevate any problems with GOP participants calling Biden a liar. Requested about the ones participants, Scalise informed me that he hopes Biden tries to “prevent” telling the tale that GOP pushing for Medicare/Soc Sec cuts pic.twitter.com/j7zF3cxuHy
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 8, 2023
When reached for remark, a spokesperson for Scalise directed Newsweek to an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham by which Scalise stated Biden’s accusation that Republicans need to reduce Medicare and Social Security a “false premise.”
“He loves throwing this available in the market, and we known as him on it,” he stated. “Everyone’s like, ‘Who’re you speaking about?’ And so then he had this bizarre interplay with the participants of Congress, and in any case on the finish of it learned, ‘Ok, so none of you might be for doing that.’ And you realize, it is Mr. President, prevent telling all of those lies.”
He added that Biden “undermined” those methods by means of paying billions of other people not to paintings.
“Tens of millions of people who are sitting at house being paid—they are no longer paying into Social Security,” Scalise stated. “So how about we in truth have a good dialog about the way to get our nation and our financial system again on the right track.”
Fox Information wondered Scalise in November concerning the Republican Learn about Committee’s plan to modify Social Security.
He stated the finances needs to “positive up” and give a boost to Social Security, no longer reduce it.
Newsweek has reached out for remark from Lee, McCarthy and Johnson.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP by means of Getty Photographs
Replace: 02/08/23 4:06 p.m. ET: This text used to be up to date with data Scalise’s spokesperson.
