No Cuts to Social Security, Medicare

Let me be explicitly clear: I will have no part in a debt ceiling negotiation that includes cuts to Social Security or Medicare. The Speaker of the House and the remainder of the Republican Party Leadership have explicitly stated that Social Security and Medicare are not on the table. I was there when President Biden said: “we all apparently agree, Social Security and Medicare is off the books” during his State of the Union Address. 

Senior Citizens built this nation, and I will do everything to make sure that they have the benefits they earned. End of story.

So, every time you hear from any member of the Democratic Party, from the President to the Minority Leader of the House, to political candidates, to members of the media, that House Republicans want to cut Social Security and Medicare, they are lying to you and are showing an incredible amount of disrespect to you, the American voter.

I was raised in abject rural poverty by a single mother. I understand that many Americans depend on government programs to either supplement their income or for many of our seniors, as their sole source of income. I will continue to fight to make sure that our fellow citizens who have worked their entire life building this great nation or are in dire need will have these programs available to them.

There is no time for partisan lies and theatrics. America is $31 trillion in debt and according to the recent CBO report, the net interest of our national debt will amount to a $10.5 trillion burden for taxpayers over the next decade. This is a threat to America. We need a balanced budget now, but we need to do it responsibly. That means protecting our seniors, while we limit spending, save taxpayer money, and grow the economy.

I encourage President Biden to accept Speaker McCarthy’s offer to negotiate so that we can deliver a budget that cuts spending, lowers costs, and protects the benefits to which our retirees are entitled. I also commit to working with my colleagues to strengthen these programs and ensure they continue to provide the programs that our seniors rely on.

Derrick Van Orden represents Wisconsin’s Third District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Constituents, including seniors seeking assistance with the Social Security Administration, can contact the congressman by visiting VanOrden.House.Gov.