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.

  • HootinNHollerin@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    3 minutes ago

    Member when Dark Brandon called republicans out on this in his state of the union address and they all booed and denied it?

    Pepperidge Farm ‘members

  • mhague@lemmy.world
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    2 hours ago

    A huge, mouth watering steak walks up to you and says, “There’s no more food.”

  • Clinicallydepressedpoochie@lemmy.world
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    1 hour ago

    Don’t worry, the cuts will drain social security just in time for when you go to collect. Current recipients will go un affected. I have no insider knowledge, I just understand that corporate America hates my generation.

  • sumguyonline@lemmy.world
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    2 hours ago

    It’s funny at this point. Either the rich pay their share or we Mangione them. Tick tock musky. Tik fuckin tok.

  • TipRing@lemmy.world
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    4 hours ago

    Yes, they want to roll back the entire New Deal and have corporate serfdom again. They have been saying it for years and now they have their chance.

  • CitricBase@lemmy.world
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    7 hours ago

    Friendly reminder that Social Security is a separate government program that funds itself.

    What Musk is talking about is stealing from Social Security in order to cut taxes elsewhere (namely cutting taxes for people like Musk).

      • Dkarma@lemmy.world
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        4 hours ago

        That’s not completely true. Long ago they put it into the general fund. There is always a shortfall in the general fund. Before they put it in there it was solvent, and if they wouldn’t have it would be completely solvent today.

        It was already stolen. They want the rest.

      • CitricBase@lemmy.world
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        6 hours ago

        I think a good start would be to stop allowing Republicans to raid Social Security for quick cash, like they’ve been constantly doing since the Reagan administration.

    • Maestro@fedia.io
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      7 hours ago

      How does it fund itself? What’s the income? Just Social Security Tax?

      • CitricBase@lemmy.world
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        6 hours ago

        Yes, it’s a payroll tax. Your paycheck may show how much you are paying into Social Security. This is money meant to help you and others after retirement. Musk wants to take that money and instead use it to fill unrelated gaps in the federal budget, gaps caused by Trump’s tax cuts for the very wealthy.

          • DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world
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            4 hours ago

            This is one of the rare cases where I want to laugh at the silly US, but can’t because our “scial security” (we call it “retirement savings”) is being missapropriated for general funds as well :(

            I just this year set up regular investment (part of my paycheck) into various funds to save for retirement privately.

            • Supervisor194@lemmy.world
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              3 hours ago

              I just this year set up regular investment (part of my paycheck) into various funds to save for retirement privately.

              Social Security got the structure it has after the Great Depression wiped… well, you know. Everyone. Out.

              I’m sure your private equity will be run much more responsibly throughout your life though, no need for some big ol’ stupid government to guarantee your retirement or anything. Carry on!

        • pound_heap@lemm.ee
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          4 hours ago

          Social Security fund invested in government bonds, so the interest from that goes into the fund.

          To be fair the budget deficit was there before Trump. His campaign promises are going to increase it, but they can offset that partially with spending cuts. Also, the government has been using money from the Social Security fund routinely, again nothing new under Trump. They just count it as an internal debt. According to Wikipedia, by 2022 it’s been already about 20% of the fund “borrowed” by the government.

  • Zeppo@sh.itjust.works
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    5 hours ago

    Lovely how this incredibly wealthy person is laser focused on making things worse for poor people. I suppose it’s the usual ploy of making people as desperate as possible so people like him can prey on us more easily.

  • empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    7 hours ago

    Wow! Who woulda guessed they would immediately reneg on a campaign “promise” and immediately attack the side of the population that most reliably votes for them?

    • aramis87@fedia.io
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      5 hours ago

      Interestingly enough, social security’s disability trust fund has enough money to continue paying out until 2098; it’s the old person part that’s running out.

      • Supervisor194@lemmy.world
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        3 hours ago

        It should also be mentioned that it wouldn’t be running out if they didn’t cap the taxable income at $168,000. If you make $168,000 a year you pay the same social security tax as every millionaire and billionaire. BuT iTs InSoLvEnT

  • adarza@lemmy.ca
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    7 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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      7 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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      7 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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        2 hours 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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        7 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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          6 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.