News, Opinions & Events
A Six Figure Limit for Social Security – CRFB
Budget hawks are floating a “chop-the-top” proposal to trim Social Security benefits. Conservative think tanks already have suggested flattening benefits with major cuts for top earners. Some would also raise benefits at the bottom so more retirees would have income above the poverty level.
Benefit reductions for high earners could play a significant role in achieving long-term Social Security solvency. But they would very likely have limited impact in the near term. That’s because major benefit cuts would have to be implemented gradually so that people nearing retirement can adjust and find ways to save more. Revenue increases, in contrast, could be implemented immediately. Some examples: lifting the cap on Social Security payroll tax, raising the payroll tax for everyone, lifting limitations on taxing capital gains of the deceased, or continuing to cover growing program cash shortfalls through borrowing.
One Big Beautiful Bill? A preliminary assessment – Brookings
“(T)he fiscal resources spent in the OBBBA would have been sufficient to resolve Social Security’s long-term financing problem”…
“The (bill’s) distributional consequences are stark. Permanent rate cuts and business tax provisions direct the largest benefits to high-income households, while many of the spending cuts fall on low-income and immigrant families. When plausible assumptions about deficit financing are incorporated, a majority of households—and nearly all low-income households—end up worse off. Recent tariff policies, though not part of the OBBBA, amplify the regressive tilt of the overall tax system.”
1 big thing: It’s brutal out there – Axios
U.S. Worker Thriving Declines as Job Market Pessimism Grows – Gallup
“Over half of employees are seeking or watching for new jobs, even as most say it is a bad time to find one.”
“…For the first time since Gallup began tracking the life evaluation of the U.S. workforce, more workers report struggling in their lives (49%) than thriving (46%): a stark reversal from 2022 and 2023 when more than half of employees were classified as thriving. This is coupled with U.S. worker engagement dropping to the lowest level on record in the past decade at 31% engaged employees.
“Similar trends cut across multiple dimensions of economic perceptions. Confidence in the job market has collapsed to a new low, with just 28% of workers saying now is a good time to find a quality job, down from 70% in mid-2022. More than half of workers are actively looking for a new job or at least watching for opportunities. And nearly half of those actively searching report it has been a negative experience, with many unable to land an interview…”
Comment: Is legislation being considered by the House to amend the constitution in order to limit the power of Congress to raise taxes in the future constitutional? Can one Congress limit the power of future Congresses to levy taxes when the Constitution states that Congress (in general and over the course of time) determines taxes and spending (limited by presidential veto)? If so, can one Congress limit future Congresses and their powers to tax, spend, and borrow asymmetrically so as the influence future Congresses concerning which of these options is taken to balance a budget? In this way, one Congress could impose its political doctrine on a future Congress. Taken to an extreme, would the courts think it OK for this Congress to pass a constitutional amendment that banned future Congresses from raising taxes at all or limited taxes to a benchmark?
Also, why doesn’t this Congress just go ahead and balance the budget now — or get it more balanced? Is trying to narrow future Congresses’ ability to balance budgets just a passive-aggressive whimper from a particular legislative body unable to do its job?
Not Enough Workers for the Job – TAP
“Understaffing has become an epidemic in American workplaces of all kinds.”
More States Are Taxing the Ultra-Rich — Washington Is the Latest – Capital & Main
“As inequality grows, states are stepping up where the federal government hasn’t.”
“The new tax, which Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson has announced his intention to sign, is scheduled to go into effect in 2028. It applies a 9.9% rate only to personal income above $1 million. The state estimates it will affect about 20,000 households, or less than one-half of one percent of the Washington population.
“Washington’s state system has long relied on sales and business taxes instead of personal income, marking it as one of the most regressive approaches in the country — meaning the tax burden falls heaviest on those least able to shoulder it. The left-leaning Institution on Taxation and Economic Policy found in a recent analysis that the poorest 20% of Washington families pay 13.8% of their income to taxes, while the one-percenters — the wealthy elite — pay just 4.1%.”
Building Blocks for Better Jobs – Commonplace
“…From coast to coast, a quieter story is unfolding. Institutions both public and private, both labor- and management-led, are building a range of ‘earn-and-learn’ pathways that blend training with real work. These models differ in structure and governance, but they share a simple idea: skills are best learned on the job, in partnership with industry, and connected directly to wages and advancement…”
Trump’s Way of Doing Business With the World May Cost All of Us – Kyla Scanlon/Substack/NYT
“…Historically, geopolitical crises send investors rushing into U.S. Treasuries as a safe haven, so yields fall as prices rise. That didn’t happen this time. Instead, yields rose on inflation fears: more oil disruption, more inflation, more deficit spending on defense, more Treasury issuance. Yields spiked when the war escalated and pulled back only when de-escalation looked possible. The safe-haven response that investors have relied on for decades failed to materialize…”
‘Hell No’: Pentagon Wants Over $200 Billion to Fund Trump’s Illegal Iran War – Common Dreams
Pentagon seeks over $200 billion from White House to fund Iran war – ILKHA
Guns or butter?
Members of Congress: The president’s request for another $200 billion to extend a war you haven’t declared would further bloat our potentially crippling national debt. How you respond not only will test your fiscal spine. It also will show voters where your heart lies.
Instead of extending a war now driving up prices, spending an extra $200 billion this year could finance many policies to help struggling American families. Examples: 1) reversing OBBBA’s SNAP funding cuts (cost: $10-20 billion); 2) extending ACA subsidies ($30 billion); expanding the child tax credit to include more low-income people ($50-$200 billion); and 4) making sure all US workers save at least $300 in retirement accounts ($0-$40 billion).
If you don’t want to spend more, you could probably cover the cost of the war by cutting back the $75 billion increase in ICE spending.
The Billionaires’ War: The ultrawealthy put Trump in power but other people will pay the price – Paul Krugman/Substack
“…if you want to understand how this country has degenerated to such a state, how we can be spending nearly $2 billion a day attacking Iran without a clear endgame in sight, while children go without healthcare, nursing homes are understaffed because their workers have been deported, home electricity bills skyrocket due to data centers, consider who benefits and who isn’t hurt. This is a billionaire’s war, waged at everyone else’s expense.”
Food Insecurity Remained High in 2025, As Safety Net Cuts Loom – Urban
Nearly 1 in 4 adults report difficulty affording adequate food.
“Passed in July 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) is set to make unprecedented cuts to the nation’s safety net, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. At a time when many families are struggling to afford everyday expenses, these cuts could place families at risk of further hardship…”
“Last week, New Mexico enacted the most significant state corporate tax reform of the year so far. On top of declining to fold large federal business tax cuts into state law, Senate Bill 151 also took the monumental step of hardening the state’s corporate tax base against offshore profit shifting…”
Interest Nation: The State of America’s Credit Card Debt Crisis – Century Foundation
“New consumer credit data analysis by The Century Foundation and Protect Borrowers finds that roughly 111 million people—half of all Americans with a credit card and over 40 percent of all U.S. adults—are unable to pay off their credit card bills each month, trapping them in cycles of persistent debt that balloons ever-higher due to record-high, industry-inflated interest rates and predatory fees.”
With a few exceptions, most low-income people are better off using a debit card than a credit card:
When Should You Use Your Debit Card Over a Credit Card? – Protect Wealth Academy
“Credit cards carry high interest rates if you carry a balance month to month. Debit cards do not. If you are concerned about accumulating debt or struggling with credit card discipline, debit ensures you’re using your own funds without the risk of growing interest charges.”
Stagflation risk in US ‘quite high’: Nobel-winning economist Stiglitz – msn/AFP
“Even before the war erupted on February 28 with a barrage of US and Israeli strikes on Iran, Stiglitz said the US economy was already ‘close to stagflation’ — a troublesome blend of high inflation and anaemic growth.”
More government debt will mean less money to spend on the American people:
Policies to Reduce Federal Budget Deficits by Increasing Economic Growth – Elmendorf, Hubbard, and Liscow/NBER
“We assess seven areas of economic policy: immigration of high-skilled workers, housing regulation, safety net programs, regulation of electricity transmission, government support for research and development, tax policy related to business investment, and permitting of infrastructure construction. We find that growth-enhancing policies almost certainly cannot stabilize federal debt on their own but that such policies can reduce the explicit tax hikes, spending cuts, or both that are needed to stabilize debt.”
America gave up some of its last minesweepers. Then Iran made them necessary again. – msn/WSJ
So, how many mines will Iran have deployed in the strait by the next time it is attacked? How much will Iran’s capacity to shut down oil shipping cost the US in blood + treasure? Trump’s legacy?
“…the Mount Laurel Doctrine, requires each of the state’s 564 municipalities to come up with a plan every decade to build an adequate share of affordable housing. Developers often build apartment complexes that set aside about 20 percent of units for low- and moderate-income households. For decades, the doctrine was not aggressively enforced by state leaders, allowing many municipalities to skate around the requirements…”
‘My Lungs Had Nothing Left’: Inside the Epidemic Killing Countertop Stonecutters – TAP/Capital & Main
“A new California law aims to protect workers from silicosis, an incurable lung disease that has killed 29 people in the state and sickened hundreds. Experts say it isn’t enough.”
Virginia lawmakers pass bill to end collective bargaining ban for public workers – Dogwood
“The legislation includes home care workers and service workers at public universities, but excludes college faculty and graduate teaching assistants.”
Trump’s cancellation of licenses for immigrant truckers takes effect – msn/WaPost
“Some 200,000 immigrant truck drivers will begin to lose their commercial driver’s licenses as they expire under a new Trump administration rule that takes effect Monday…”
Thousands of workers strike at one of the largest meatpacking plants in the US – AP
“The first walkout at a U.S. beef slaughterhouse in four decades follows accusations from union officials that the company retaliated against workers and committed other unfair labor practices. They said the company offered wage increases of less than 2% annually, which is below Colorado’s inflation rate…”
Featured
Thanks to The Hill for running our op-ed:
Trump’s 401(k) proposal could be a major step toward retirement security – Karl Polzer/Hill
“To succeed, Trump’s proposal must meet two fundamental requirements: funds to save and invest and accounts overseen by a fiduciary. The millions of workers with no money left over from their paychecks after covering the cost of living need more than just access to a retirement account — they also need money to put in that plan, week by week and month by month. This is why, without congressional action, most low-income workers will likely still be left out…”
During a February conference at the National Press Club, speakers proposed expanding social insurance to include childcare. This short paper, written during the Biden Administration, raises some of the cost and design issues that would entail:
White House’s promised childcare subsidies face a host of ‘devils in the details’ – Karl Polzer/CCSE
Thanks to The Hill for running our op-ed:
Want ‘affordability?’ Start by retooling your state’s regressive tax system. – Karl Polzer/Hill
“The White House’s top economic advisors recently advised states to consider repealing taxes on corporate and personal income and to make up for it by drastically raising their sales taxes. This is the last thing states should do if they want to make life more affordable for most people…”
Thanks to the Richmond Times-Dispatch for publishing this column:
“…It will take some time for the new governor and Democrats running the state legislature to find effective ways to make life in Virginia more affordable. Reducing the tax burden on low-income families should be part of their agenda. Meanwhile, legislators should avoid adding taxes that hit the poor the hardest.”
States Can Push Back Against Reckless Federal Tax Policy. Here’s How. – Governing
Beware of Republicans bearing cash!
Substituting Cash for Health Insurance Can Drive Up Costs, Medical Bankruptcy – Karl Polzer/CCSE
Not! (for now)
Senate GOP health care plan fails on mostly party-line vote – Hill
As suspected, the two health care subsidy votes were performative art organized by Senate leaders setting a high bar (60/100 votes). Clock’s still ticking for millions of Americans needing health insurance they can afford.
Health Care–Related Savings Accounts, Health Care Expenditures, and Tax Expenditures – JAMA
“Conclusions and Relevance: Participation in FSAs is associated with higher health care expenditures and tax expenditures, while HSAs are not associated with reduced expenditures. Tax policy could be better targeted to enhance insurance coverage and health care accessibility.”
Submitted to Finance Committee Hearing: “The Rising Cost of Health Care: Considering Meaningful Solutions for All Americans”
“No matter how many adjustments the government might make, giving people money to leave the risk pool and bargain on their own with the players in health system undermines the basic concept of insurance – which is pooling risk and resources to make hard-to-predict future expenses more affordable.”
“Understanding Inequality” – a seven-part series by CUNY Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality scholar Paul Krugman
- Part I: Why Did the Rich Pull Away from the Rest?
- Part II: The Importance of Worker Power
- Part III: A Trumpian Diversion
- Part IV: Oligarchs and the Rise of Mega-Fortunes
- Part V: Predatory Financialization
- Part VI: Wealth and Power
- Part VII: Crypto
Updated Oct. 8, 2025
“This paper presents options – some favored by conservatives, others by progressives – as a framework for negotiating an equitable solution to Social Security’s financing shortfall. Taken together, the changes could generate up to twice as much in savings and revenue as needed to balance Social Security’s books…
“Congress could strike a deal drawing about half the savings needed to fix Social Security through a gradual benefit reduction by changing the formula for determining initial benefit levels while protecting the lowest earners. The rest of the gap could be filled through tax increases. These financing options provide room for targeted benefit improvements to help the lowest income pay their bills and families raise children.”
Thanks to The Hill for running our oped:
Judge says Trump administration ‘used antisemitism as a smokescreen’ against Harvard – USA Today
Trump Administration’s Cuts to Harvard Funding Are Unconstitutional, Judge Rules – msn/WSJ
CCSE correspondence with Harvard President Garber
“Prediction: Harvard University will be teaching students from all over the world long after what remains of Trump and his brain trust rest in silence beneath the ground. BTW, White House staff could benefit from taking free public finance courses at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Harvard has a positive fund balance. The United State government, not so much.”
No peace, no prize. – Karl Polzer
“Republican members of the US Congress, which is financing Israel’s now escalating ethnic cleansing of Gaza, have nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. It is hard to fathom the depth and irony of their fawning depravity. The Nobel prize is clearly a trophy that he covets. But shouldn’t a peace prize have something to do with reducing conflict and killing? The US president and Congress, including a majority of Democrats, are doing the opposite of making peace. They are facilitating Israel’s daily, systematic killing, starvation, and displacement of entire populations of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank…”
“Economists and business analysts increasingly agree that Trump’s tariffs are raising prices. There is far less awareness that the historic spike in tariffs – coupled with the tax cuts just made permanent by Congress – comprise a major shift in the tax burden. Taken together, these two changes promise to make the US tax system more regressive. In our increasingly unequal country, taxpayers at the bottom of the economic pecking order are taking on proportionally more of the tax burden as the well-off shoulder less…”
New capitalism III: Capital – Branko Milanovic
“Why is capital so concentrated and why so few have it?”
“The new capitalism has even in the rich countries failed to produce what Margaret Thatcher, and Friedrich Hayek before her, called ‘property-owning society’. (For good measure, Thatcher added ‘democracy’ too.) Even when we include income from forced savings that becomes pension wealth, between one-half and almost 90 percent of the population in rich countries are financial-capital destitute. That percentage becomes more than 90, or even more than 95, in less developed countries…”
Related CCSE work:
Half of Americans have no retirement savings — here’s how Congress can look after them …. op-ed
How the U.S. Retirement Saving System Magnifies Inequality – Society of Actuaries
New Capitalism in America: Richest capitalists and richest workers are increasingly the same people – Global Inequality
Branko Milanovic: The World Under Capitalism – Stone Center/Toronto Public Library
Prof. Milanovic discusses two types of capitalism – “liberal capitalism” in the US and “political capitalism” directed by the Chinese Communist Party. Both systems have produced relatively high levels of income inequality.
Comparing United States and China by Economy – Statistics Times
Just-enacted 2025 budget legislation makes Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent. Here’s a CCSE presentation from just after Congress passed that bill:
What has changed? Remains the same?
2025 Social Security groundhog day:
US needs $28 trillion more over 75 years to pay promised benefits
“A few months after the Trump Administration chain-sawed Social Security’s leadership and staff, four newly installed senior officials overseeing the program released the annual report on its declining financial condition. This year’s actuarial forecast is a bit gloomier due in large part to a benefit expansion enacted by the previous Congress. However, in the big picture, not much has changed. Social Security’s looming insolvency remains…
“As I have pointed out to the Senate Budget Committee, the process of spending down Social Security reserves already is increasing overall federal spending and pushing up annual deficits. Drawing down reserves in the Social Security trust funds requires the Treasury to sell bonds (or find other sources of revenue) to raise cash to pay the program’s 74 million beneficiaries.
“On pp. 51-52, this year’s report estimates that Social Security will draw down $181 billion from the combined trust funds in 2025 with the amount rising to $405 billion in 2033. As a result, the federal government is gradually moving to finance part of the program’s benefits through newly issued debt substituting for now-insufficient payroll taxes...”
More on these issues can be found in these CCSE articles and testimony:
- Why Social Security’s big benefit cut won’t happen: The U.S. Treasury already is filling its funding gap – statement to U.S. Senate Budget Committee
- A ‘conservative/progressive’ path to Social Security solvency: bend the benefit cost curve, grow revenue, and protect lower earners – statement to Senate Appropriations Committee
- A Widening Gap in Life Expectancy Makes Raising Social Security’s Retirement Age a Particularly Bad Deal for Low-Wage Earners – Society of Actuaries
- Growing inequality has shrunk Social Security’s revenue. Revitalizing its tax base could help restore solvency without cutting benefits.
- Center on Capital & Social Equity work on Social Security and retirement savings (updated January 2025).
OBBBA’s 30-Year Price Tag – CRFB
“The House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) would add $3 trillion to the debt through Fiscal Year (FY) 2034 as written and $5 trillion if made permanent. Over the long run, it would add far more to the debt.”
Trump, Tariffs, and the Economic Outlook – AEI discussion
“Helping young people learn how to save and build up money for college and adult life are worthy goals. But new ‘Trump kids accounts’ embedded in the massive Republican tax and spending bill before the US Senate not only duplicate existing programs. They also would widen financial gaps between families in our already very unequal country. In addition, tax subsidies for money invested in Trump accounts would go mostly to well-off families and push up the national debt…”
Letter to US citizens:
Student expulsions are an attack on all Americans’ freedom of speech
“This is how fascism happens. First, they come for the powerless. In time, they
will come for you.”
“The federal government has had authority since 1986 to criminally prosecute individuals and companies employing workers not legally in the United State, but it has rarely used that authority regardless of the administration in office. A one-year snapshot taken during Trump’s first term found that no company was criminally prosecuted for having workers not authorized to be in the country, a Syracuse University study shows…
“Changing the equation to incentivize employers to help enforce, rather than skirt, the nation’s immigration laws does not mean subjecting them to cruel and unusual punishment. No need to suspend billionaires and entrepreneurs in cages from a tower or use branding irons. It does mean applying and stiffening laws against hiring illegals and tax avoidance. Financial penalties, public shaming, and loss of contracts could be a start. If that isn’t sufficient, start putting law-breaking employers in jail. They are lining their pockets by stealing jobs from American workers, both native born and those immigrating legally.”
Multiple conflicts of interest:
“By directing a high-powered federal agency working to alter the size and nature of the federal workforce, Elon Musk may be jeopardizing the ability of companies he owns and directs, including SpaceX and Tesla, to contract with the federal government.”
Thanks to the Virginian-Pilot for running our op-ed:
Many questions, few answers about exempting tips from taxes – Karl Polzer/Virginian-Pilot
“Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposal to exempt tipped income from state taxes — like President-elect Donald Trump’s on a national level — could help some low-wage workers. However, it also poses risks for others and raises complex issues facing scrutiny as the state legislature begins its work…”
To provide access to all readers (the newspaper’s op-eds are gated), below is the original submission including links to sources:
Statement to 11/20/24 US House Appropriations Committee hearing on Social Security:
“As keeper of the federal government’s purse strings, the House Appropriations Committee plays a part in maintaining Social Security’s commitment to American workers, their families, and taxpayers. First, Committee members can weigh in as Congress and the Treasury find hundreds of billions of dollars annually in cash outside the appropriations process to draw down Social Security reserves. The Committee can also help ‘leave room’ in future budgets for revenue increases that might be necessary to keep Social Security solvent as it coordinates with House Ways & Means, Budget, and other Committees on tax and spending issues.”
The next President and Congress will face daunting fiscal issues. In the shadow of historic levels of national debt, lawmakers will be bargaining over trillions of dollars of taxes and spending as they deal with expiration of the Trump tax cuts. On top of that loom major Social Security financing gaps. Paying promised benefits will require the government to raise more than $2 trillion in cash over the next eight years and more than $24 trillion to achieve long-run solvency.
This paper presents policy options – some favored by conservatives, others by progressives – as a framework for negotiating a solution. Taken together, the changes could generate more than twice as much in savings and revenue than needed to balance Social Security’s books.
The nation’s biggest banks in effect have become today’s payday lenders.
Which U.S. Households Have Credit Card Debt? – St. Louis Fed
46% of American households held credit card debt in 2022.
– Expand the child tax credit to help more working-class parents and grandparents raising kids.
– Provide Social Security credit for unpaid work raising young children.
– Update/improve SSI so more people with disabilities can work, save.
– If taxes must go up, hold the working poor harmless.
Click here for longer version including references and related articles.
CCSE work contributes to Congressional hearing on financing Social Security
Center on Capital & Social Equity (CCSE) analysis and advocacy were evidenced during the June 4 House Ways & Means subcommittee on Social Security hearing of the program’s trust fund. Over the past years, CCSE has worked to explore issues affecting low-wage workers and lay groundwork to defend their Social Security benefits when Congress eventually refinances the nation’s most important social program.
It’s Social Security ‘groundhog day’ as trustees repeat annual forecast of declining finances
“…The trustees’ report, however, neglects to mention how Social Security already is impacting the overall federal budget. As pointed out to the Senate Budget Committee, the mechanics of spending down Social Security’s reserves require the Treasury to draw funds from general revenue and issue new debt to the public. As a result, Social Security is gradually and organically moving to paying for current benefits through debt substituting for now-insufficient payroll taxes that it traditionally relies on.”
Missing the obvious: life expectancy in the U.S. is closely related to income – Karl Polzer
“The underlying theory is simple: More income and wealth allow people and governments to support more years of life. Fewer resources put them at a disadvantage. Some politicians who see the connection may be leery of talking about it. Doing so would lead to awkward questions about improving working and living conditions for millions of Americans and dealing with growing economic inequality.
“The strong relationship between income and longevity is clear when comparing states… (E)ight of the nine states with the lowest median household income also are among the bottom nine in longevity. Similar clustering occurs comparing the highest ranked states across the two categories. Seven of the nine states with the highest median household income also are among the top nine in life expectancy.
“Realizing they are rowing in the same economic boat could prompt states to join forces on policy changes, particularly Mississippi, West Virginia, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, New Mexico, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee, and others ranking at or near the bottom…
“Presidential candidate and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley strongly proposes raising the program’s retirement age on the premise that increased life spans are undermining Social Security’s long-term solvency. If long-held assumptions about longevity were challenged, and potential losses to low-income workers and low-income states caused by raising the eligibility age came to light, would she change her position? Republican candidate Donald Trump, by the way, opposes cuts in Social Security as do most Democrats…”
Thanks to the Washington Examiner for running this op-ed:
Senate minimum wage bills make bipartisan compromise possible – Washington Examiner
For longer version with references, see:
Previous work on this issue:
One way to make living easier in Virginia – letter to WaPost
Yes, raise the minimum wage, but don’t stop there – op-ed
“More Americans are rightly asking if Israel could neutralize Hamas without massive destruction and loss of civilian life. Indiscriminate air attacks by the Netanyahu regime already have killed and injured tens of thousands of Gazans with no end to the violence in sight. To put this in perspective, imagine how Washington, D.C., would look if a foreign government with the power to fence in the District of Columbia dropped a comparable number of bombs here while shutting off access to water and food and destroying most of the capital area’s housing and medical system. UN officials say conditions in Gaza are catastrophic.”
Thanks to the Washington Post for publishing our letter to the editor:
One way to make living easier in Virginia – Karl Polzer/letter to WaPost
“Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) told reporters he is ‘concerned about the cost of living in Virginia and we’re continuing to evaluate how best to address that,’ as reported in the Nov. 26 Metro article ‘Budget battle looms in Virginia. Facing a tighter fiscal environment and Democratic control of the legislature, Mr. Youngkin and fellow Republicans could help working families without denting the budget by making an expected Democratic push for a higher minimum wage a bipartisan affair.
“The GOP has been trying to attract more minority and working-class voters. However, party leaders have stopped short of addressing core economic issues, such as supporting higher wages and better benefits, and mainly stress cultural issues…”
Background Information on these issues provided to Virginia legislators
McCarthy & Co. offer themselves up on the cross to help motivate lazy poor people back to work
Work requirements are a policy failure: Why are they still an option? – The Hill
Thanks to the Washington Post for running our letter:
“Letting Americans Down”
“How can House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), President Biden and Senate leaders claim to represent the working class and poor when Medicaid work requirements are a focal point in the debt ceiling standoff and the Trump-era tax cuts are not? According to the Congressional Budget Office, the work requirements in the Limit, Save, Grow Act would have a tiny impact (about $5.6 billion in fiscal 2025) on the nation’s $31.4 trillion national debt, but they would increase the number of uninsured and state costs and have no effect on hours worked by Medicaid recipients.
“In contrast, ending the Trump-era tax cuts, which disproportionately benefit the wealthy, could put a major dent in the national debt….”
Because most of this site’s readers won’t be able to get through the newspaper’s pay gate, here’s the draft of the letter sent to the Post:
Debt ceiling negotiators focus on a ‘speck’ in benefits for the poor, ignore the ‘logs’ in their own eyes.
“Legislative Choices for Paying Promised Social Security Benefits”
Statement of Karl Polzer, Center on Capital & Social Equity,
U.S. Senate Budget Committee hearing: “Protecting Social
Security for All: Making the Wealthy Pay Their Fair Share”
Has DT crossed the line into delirium tremens?
“It came out of his mouth during a campaign speech last month.”