Summary

At the first meeting of the DOGE Caucus, a new congressional group focused on government efficiency, Republican Rep. Greg Lopez stated that cuts to Social Security and Medicare are likely “on the table” as part of debt reduction efforts.

The caucus, led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, aims to slash government spending, raising concerns among advocacy groups about potential attacks on anti-poverty programs.

Critics, including Social Security Works, warn the caucus may push for privatization and benefit reductions.

This comes despite Trump’s prior commitment to protect these programs.

  • adarza@lemmy.ca
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    6 hours ago

    doesn’t need to be, of course. they just want to cut social security because ‘the poors’ rely on it more.

    debt reduction efforts

    deep-six every loophole used mostly or only by the wealthy to avoid paying their share of taxes.

    increase funding for irs, streamline enforcement actions, give them the resources needed to go after the big fish.

    eliminate the cap on social security contributions, lower the ceiling on benefits for the very wealthy retirees, while raising the minimum benefit.

    single payer tax funded health care, paid by higher taxes on the wealthy.

    raise the capital gains rates. raise the estate tax, lower the assets value needed to trigger it.

    raise the marginal rates for high income earners (by a lot. i want reagan screaming from beyond)

    budget problem fixed. well over $2 trillion a year pumped into the economy by people who are now no longer padding insurance companies’ bottom lines with it. but we aren’t done yet…

    $12/hr min wage (wait wut!!! wait for it…)

    $24,000 universal tax credit for everyone. the higher taxes up^there on high income earners would negate this for them, and they fund it for the others that do receive it.

    this is a compromise between the $15 (or higher) crowd and small businesses. a little lower fed min wage than what’s being pushed, but then essentially doubled based on full time work via the tax credit all receive.

    • floofloof@lemmy.ca
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      6 hours ago

      The wealthy, who have had help all their life but imagine they did it all on their own, see needing help when you’re poor as a disgusting moral failing. Many of them will also call themselves Christians.

    • einlander@lemmy.world
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      6 hours ago

      This could end badly for them. Old people without a means to continue surviving either have to continue working till they die, or die fighting the government.

      • Queen HawlSera@lemm.ee
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        22 minutes ago

        Bill reacted to his death and resurrection into the Entity’s Realm by treating it like Valhalla

      • PriorityMotif@lemmy.world
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        5 hours ago

        There’s certain people who continue to receive social security from childhood if they have a qualifying disability and make under a certain amount of money. I think to qualify for social security your primary caregiver has to be on social security, like if you live with a grandparent or you have an older parent.

        • einlander@lemmy.world
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          5 hours ago

          I’m not even touching on those on SSDI. Just the common retired 67 year old. Just imagine a retired Walmart worker with no SSI income. Way too many of them with nothing else to do other than die; be homeless, suffer and die; or die taking in the government.