David Riemer
Op Ed

Trump Wants to Wreck Social Security

His approach will turn it into a welfare program that could be cut at any time.

By - Oct 23rd, 2020 10:39 am
Donald Trump. Photo from whitehouse.gov.

Donald Trump. Photo from whitehouse.gov.

One of the biggest differences between Donald Trump and Joe Biden concerns Social Security.

Donald Trump wants to turn Social Security into a welfare program, instead of the earned benefit it is today.

Trump has proposed to permanently “terminate” the way Social Security is now funded with deductions from workers’ paychecks (matched by employer contributions). If that happens, Social Security would have to be paid for with general tax revenue.

That makes it a welfare program. Its eligibility and benefits could be shredded or stripped—at any time—at the whim of Congress.

The dependable payments that seniors now count on, based on their prior wages, would vanish. The Social Security Trust Fund would soon disappear.

There are a lot of reasons to reject Trump and elect Biden. Trump lied to us about COVID-19. He intentionally “downplayed” it. He keeps trying to sell us on bogus cures.

Trump’s deception, misinformation, and incompetence have caused millions of avoidable illnesses and nearly 225,000 avoidable deaths. Other casualties include the current recession that has deprived millions of their jobs, earnings, and health insurance. His ineptitude has stopped our economy—and schools—from quickly reopening.

Trump’s plan to wreck Social Security comes on top of this. That damage would be enduring.

Joe Biden will protect Social Security. He will make sure it remains an earned benefit, strengthen its funding, and protect the Trust Fund. It’s one more reason to elect Biden as President.

David Riemer has held legal, budget, and policymaking positions with a former mayor of Milwaukee, two former governors of Wisconsin, and the late Senator Edward Kennedy.

Categories: Op-Ed, Politics

One thought on “Op Ed: Trump Wants to Wreck Social Security”

  1. Mingus says:

    As happens quite often, persons will vote for politicians who are working to cut entitled benefits or lower wages. They will then get agitated and blame the Democrats for their misery while government handouts to business and corporate farms continues to grow.

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