by Tia Maria
American poet and author Maya Angelou once said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
Let us apply these wise words of warning to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Trump ran for president in 2016 with the same rhetoric as today regarding Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. He promised no cuts, but then spent four years trying to dismantle these great American programs through tax cuts to benefit his billionaire buddies.
Trump recently tweeted: “SENIORS SHOULD NOT PAY TAX ON SOCIAL SECURITY,” but don’t be fooled. That’s not his true plan.
According to Social Security Works, Trump wants to eliminate 4 percent of Social Security’s dedicated funding with no plan to replace the funding. This will diminish the trust fund and cause a 20 percent across-the-board benefit cut to be more likely. Social Security provides wage-related benefits designed to maintain one’s standard of living when wages are lost due to old age, disability or death. And every budget Trump released as president called for cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Contrast this, however, to Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris who co-sponsored a bill to increase Social Security benefits in a way that extends the program’s dedicated funding by making millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share. Kamala Harris also cast the tie-breaking vote to stop Big Pharma from ripping off Medicare with high drug prices, saving Medicare billions. And Harris advocates for the expansion of Medicare to include dental, hearing and vision coverage.
For over a decade, Democrats have proposed addressing the taxation of benefits as part of the effort to expand Social Security, while restoring the program to long-range actuarial balance, by requiring the very wealthy to pay their fair share. Social Security’s funding should be improved. But eliminating a portion of Social Security’s dedicated funding without providing any alternative funding sources would hasten the across-the-board cuts that automatically occur if Social Security’s trust fund is exhausted.
A major senior citizen advocacy group, The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM), has endorsed the Democratic Party’s platform plans for Social Security that call for applying additional revenue requirements on wealthy individuals with incomes over $400,000. This call for real action arrives just in time. A May 2024 article by The National Alliance to End Homelessness reports that Americans age 50 and older are the fastest-growing group experiencing homelessness, and their numbers are projected to triple by 2030!
Add to this terrible mix, the proposal by the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” to, among other things, increase the retirement eligibility age to 70. How would you like to be forced to shingle roofs, hang drywall, wait tables, etc. until you’re 70? What a ridiculous and evil idea!
With life-expectancy for all Americans on the decline, we cannot and should not allow a Donald Trump, or anyone else, to harm our earned benefits through privatization, outright cuts to administration of benefits, or raising the eligibility age. You worked for it. You paid into it. You deserve to receive your earned benefits in full, and as soon as possible.
So, pay attention to what’s going on. Do your homework on the issues. And remember to use the power of your VOTE this election year. Vote for candidates who propose strengthening and expanding Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and not harming these great American programs. For example, U.S. Senatorial candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell has been endorsed by the NCPSSM, as has Kamala Harris. They have my vote and they should have your vote, as well.
Tia Maria, a pen name, volunteers for the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.