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And the winner is: Chained CPI — or a “cut to Social Security” as Democrats in the House refer to it.  They don’t care that it means that Social Security benefits will increase at a slower rate. CPI stands for “Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers” but so what? It may as well translate into “I’m not voting for this” to House Democrats and particularly Congressional Black Caucus members.

 

That the idea is a bargaining chip at all in the upcoming negotiations has members hot.

 

 

Richard Trumpka

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus specifically are almost unanimously against any cuts to Medicare or Social Security. Period.  With reaction like this, George Bush may as well still be President.  Further, even a House Republican, Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon, who is head of the GOP’s re-election committee, said President Obama’s budget was a “shocking attack on seniors.”

 

Today on Capitol Hill a press conference featuring AFL-CIO President Richard Trumpka and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights is set for 2 p.m.  Several members of the Progressive Caucus are saying they will vehemently fight any cuts to programs that assist the poor.  That the President is pushing a proposed deal to cut benefits to the poor and elderly at a time when over 46 million Americans live below the poverty line has many members confused.

 

It didn’t help matters that on the same day members were reading the details of his budget, President Obama had dinner at the White House with eight Republican lawmakers.  ”If you are against this President then he has time for you and tries to change your mind. If you are on his side he ignores you,” a member of Congress said on background yesterday.

 

“It’s a non starter for me,” said Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) talking about chained CPI and any cuts to Social Security and Medicare. A quick survey of over 20 CBC members showed that this sentiment was shared by many.

 

 

Rep. Barbara Lee

“I’m terribly disappointed that that’s on the table at all,” said Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) empatically as he departed the House floor after votes Wednesday afternoon.

 

“I think it’s wrong to go to the most vulnerable in order to rectify a budget that went out of whack,” said Rangel added.  But would he vote for a plan that had a cut to Medicare and Social Security if the same legislation had something he liked? Because that’s what it comes down to right? Votes.

 

“I don’t know what the full package is going to be and so I’m not prepared to make a vow never to vote a certain way — especially before the negotiations,” Rangel answered.  But clearly, as another member said on background, President Obama’s proposed cuts to Medicare in a tax hike deal with the GOP puts the CBC in an “awkward position.”

 

In a story by BET’s Joyce Jones titled One Proposal in Obama’s Budget Is Giving CBC Members Heartburn, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) said that members had “practically pledged in blood to not support” and cuts to Medicare or Social Security. Waters’ district is becoming more Hispanic and the demographics are quickly changing.

 

“There are ways to accomplish the goals of entitlement reform without cutting the benefits of beneficiaries,” said Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI), who is a member of the House Budget Committee.

 

Rep. G.K Butterfield (D-NC), the CBC’s most “conservative” member along with Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA), said he believed the President’s budget represented a “balanced approach,” though he was not thrilled about raising taxes on tobacco to pay from the early childhood development provision since his district is tobacco rich. “But I get it,” Butterfield added saying everyone had to “share in the pain” for deficit reduction.

 

“Several of us voted for the tax cuts to begin with because we suspected that if you voted for the tax cuts next thing on the agenda will be cutting Social Security and Medicare,” Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) said off the House floor.  Scott was one of only 16 Democrats in the House to vote against the January 1st fiscal cliff deal that extended the Bush tax cuts.  He argues that Medicare and Social Security are being cut to pay for tax cuts for millionaires as a result of the fiscal cliff plan.

 

“We cannot sacrifice the interest of low income seniors simply because John Boehner and the Republicans will not close a loophole for rich people in the highest income earners and most wealthy people in our country. It is not anything close to fair,” Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN).

 

Ellison is leading an effort to punish any House Democrat who votes to cut Medicare and Social Security with a primary challenge.  The President’s proposal, which some have called him “scoring into his own net” is universally and roundly disliked by many Democrats in Congress.

 

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), who represents Baltimore, is also against any cuts to Medicare

 

“I knew a lot of my senior neighbors many years before I knew the President. The have to live after the President is out of office.  I do not want us going back to a time when our seniors are trying to figure out how they are going to get health care,” Cummings said.