Donald Trump made many promises as a
candidate. Most of them he hopefully does not keep, such as banning
immigrants and refugees based upon their religious beliefs or
breaking up families through mass deportations. On the other hand,
one promise he should keep is his promise to not cut funding for
Medicare and Social Security, which millions of senior citizens
depend on to survive in an environment of ever-increasing costs of
living and medical care.
Trump vs. GOP
However, many Republican lawmakers'
positions on Social Security are diametrically opposed to Trump's
stated position. GOP lawmakers, led by Congressman Paul Ryan, have
repeatedly worked towards cutting Medicare and Social Security and
ultimately want to privatize the program. This would result in
healthier seniors dropping out of traditional medicare causing
increased Medicare spending as well as higher costs for seniors
remaining in traditional Medicare, according to an
article
published by the
National Committee
to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM). It is likely
the GOP will test Trump's resolve to keep his campaign promise to
look after America's senior citizens.
Broken promises not uncommon for
Trump
Unfortunately, Trump has a habit of not
keeping his campaign promises which can already be seen through his
cabinet selections. Trump promised to “drain the swamp,” meaning
to rid Washington D.C. of Wall Street influence. But, instead of
looking out for the everyday American on Main Street, Trump has
packed his cabinet full of Wall Street insiders. With this in mind,
one has to wonder what the chances are that he will again turn his
back on everyday Americans, particularly seniors who depend on
benefits from the government.
Promise to repeal ACA contradictory
to promise to maintain Medicare
Another factor which could cause an
issue is that Trump and his Republican colleagues have promised to
repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), otherwise known as
Obamacare. The problem with this is that the ACA has greatly helped
in refilling the Social Security trust fund, according to an
article
published by the NCPSSM. If the ACA is repealed without replacing it
with another similar program it would be difficult to avoid having to
cut the meager benefits that seniors are already receiving without
raising taxes. An increase in taxes to fund government programs is
now significantly less likely with the GOP in control of both the
House and Senate.
Continue the pressure on Trump and
GOP
It is essential
that we keep up the political pressure on Trump and the Republicans
to honor the wishes of the majority of Americans and steer clear of
making cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Along with contacting
your Congressperson or Senator one can help to apply political
pressure against cutting these important social welfare programs through supporting already-existent organizations dedicated to preserving
Social Security and Medicare. The
NCPSSM
has an outstanding record of success in lobbying lawmakers to not cut
benefits. Another excellent organization is
Social
Security Works. If you have the financial ability to help, please
consider these organizations for charitable donations.
