WASHINGTON (MNI) – House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Tuesday said she is committed to a “balanced bipartisan approach” in dealing with Medicare and Social Security cuts, and that cutting benefits in these programs would have very negative effects on the nation’s elderly.
Pelosi and other Democratic congresswomen criticized Republican goals for Medicare and Social Security, saying they would hurt struggling communities like senior citizens and especially women.
“Without Social Security more than half of women over the age of 65 would fall into poverty,” Pelosi said at a news conference.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois), added that “women cannot afford cuts in their benefits,” and that “Social Security cuts should not even be on the table at this time.”
Schakowsy went on to add, “Republicans want to cut Medicare and Social Security and not touch the million and billionaires.”
With women as a rule generally living longer than men, the Medicare and Social Security cuts and reduced benefits would be extremely detrimental to women with “more than half of the 47 million medicare beneficiaries being women,” Rep. Doris Matsui (D-California) said.
Rep. Kathleen Hocul (D-New York) noted that “any cut in benefits is a tax on seniors,” because by cutting benefits seniors have to pay more themselves, similar to being taxed.
“For 35% of black women ages 65-74 Social Security is their only form of income,” Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wisconsin) added.
Pelosi said she is happy with the current administration and how it has dealt with the debt crisis and possible cuts of Medicare and Social Security. “The President has done an excellent job working with the debt,” Pelosi said. “I couldn’t be prouder of his leadership,” she added.
Republicans have said under their proposals any one currently receiving Social Security or close to receiving it would not be affected. They have generall favored a greater portion of payroll taxes by directed to personal investments. In any case, they said any new option would be voluntary so workers could choose to remain in the current system or choose something else.
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