Paul Sassone

I’m getting a little nervous, folks.

Perhaps I shouldn’t be. President Donald Trump promised during the presidential campaign that he would not cut Social Security or Medicare benefits.

But I’m not convinced the Republican-dominated Congress feels the same way.

The Chronicle reported recently on a Jan. 13 vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on a budget blueprint for fiscal 2017. The bill, which passed 227-198, the Chronicle reported, “… would set the table for later congressional passage of bills to repeal the tax and spending portions of the Affordable Care Act, defund Planned Parenthood and weigh possible cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.”

In addition, the Senate by a 49-49 vote turned back an amendment by which the Senate would “formally embrace (President) Trump’s campaign statements that he would not cut Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid,” the Chronicle reported.

This does not say to me that Social Security and Medicare are safe from Republican pillaging.

Since 1935, when Social Security was created, Republicans have tried to kill it. I’ve never understood why. More than 60 million Americans receive monthly Social Security benefits. Beneficiaries are the elderly and the ill. Without Social Security a great many of these people would live in abject poverty.

And without Medicare, more than 55 million Americans over the age of 65 would not be able to afford medical care.

Yet, Republicans want to cut or eliminate these two programs that have proven their worth over many years.

Whenever I would see news film of Trump rallies I noticed that many of his supporters in the crowd were older people — the very people who benefit from Social Security and Medicare.
Trump seemed to acknowledge this by his categorical statements throughout the campaign that Social Security and Medicare would be safe from the axe if he were elected.

Well, he is elected.

Will he live up to that campaign promise, even though it might pit him against congressional members of his own party?

The answer is more than a debating point.

It is life and death for millions of Americans.

–How secure are Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security?–