It’s no secret that Republicans are back in control of the House of Representatives. While this has brought a number of changes to Washington, there is one clear benefit that has emerged from the Republican majority—they are being forced to actually propose solutions rather than simply complaining about Democrats. Their GOP supporters are about to find out that Republicans have every intention of trying to cut social security & Medicare just like Dems have long said.
This newfound focus on governance has meant that Republicans have been vocal in demanding major cuts in spending, but NOW since they are the governing party in the House. they have to be specific about what services they intend to cut. Democrats have warned that Republicans want to cut Social Security & Medicare, and now GOP supporters will learn first hand that the GOP was lying all along.
Here’s how the US spends its money…
Where Can GOP Cut?
The primary area where Republicans can make an immediate impact is by cutting either Social Security, Medicare, or Defense—any other areas would have minimal effect. These 3 items alone account for nearly 75% of the total spending. Even if Republicans wanted further attacks on the poor, it would have little impact as the GOP has already cut food stamps and free lunches for poor students.
This means that if the GOP wants to make good on their promise of reducing spending, they must target one of these three existing programs—not some new idea or concept—and face public outcry for doing so. There are no other areas that will have a significant impact on spending. The only other way to address the debt is to increase income.
In other words, raise taxes. Democrats have argued for years that large corporations and the wealthy people should pay higher taxes and 90% of Americans agree with that ideas. However, the wealthy are the largest benefactors to Republican politicians so the GOP refuses to even consider raising taxes on the wealthy. So, what are Republicans going to do now that they actually have to come up with some ideas instead of simply complaining about Democrats?
Social Security and Medicare are two of the most important safety nets for vulnerable Americans and GOP supporters, so any cuts proposed by the GOP could be catastrophic for those who rely on these services. It’s not just elderly people who rely on these programs either; veterans, disabled individuals, and families with low incomes also depend on them for basic necessities and medical care. Cutting Social Security or Medicare would drastically reduce the quality of life for many Americans, which should never be an option.
Easier to Complain than to Govern
Now the chickens have come home to roost and Republicans have to actually tell their elderly and disabled supporters who benefit from social security and Medicare that they are coming to cut those “Entitlements.” Republican Senator Rick Scott took a lot of heat for actually publicizing the GOPs 11 point plan to “rescue” America where he admitted that the GOP intended to terminate social security and require that it be re-enacted every 5 years. Who among us can budget on income that is dependent on the whims of politicians in DC?>
Just like Democrats were telling the truth about the GOP’s war on women and their bodily autonomy when they banned abortion services, people are also about to learn that Dems were also right about the GOP’s plan to cut the social safety net away from millions of elderly and disabled Americans. Republicans have long gotten away with talking out of both sides of their mouths because their supporters are indoctrinated to not believe anything Dems say.
That Just Leaves Cutting Defense
That leaves cuts to our defense budget and I can’t actually see GOP proposing cuts to defense or Dems going along with draconian cuts. Not only does cutting defense spending seem counterintuitive given our current foreign policy climate but it would also put hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk across multiple industries like technology and aerospace engineering. It could also damage our relationship with our allies around world if we are not able to hold up our end of agreements due to GOP budget cuts.
Therefore, Republicans must realize that they cannot cut their way out of this budget mess without severely compromising any number of services or affecting millions of people’s livelihoods in the process. Instead they should look at other ways to reduce funding such as closing corporate tax loopholes and increasing taxes for wealthy individuals who can afford it without suffering any severe consequences themselves. While this may sound like a difficult task from a political perspective in Washington D.C., it must be done if we are going to get our fiscal house in order without hurting everyday American citizens or damaging our global standing abroad.
Where Does GOP Go from Here?
It’s clear that if Republicans want to reduce the federal budget and make good on their promise of cutting spending, they must choose wisely. Cutting Social Security or Medicare would be catastrophic for vulnerable Americans/GOP supporters who rely upon these services while reducing defense spending could hurt our foreign policy relations as well as put hundreds of thousands out of work in related industries.
The only other option is to increase taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations which appears politically difficult but may be necessary to get the nation’s fiscal house back in order without sacrificing vital social programs or damaging our international standing. Ultimately, it is a good thing for Democrats that Republicans finally have to put up or shut up about their true plans for everyday Americans.
They can either raise taxes or cut expense and the GOP is completely opposed to raising taxes on the wealthy and appear willing to consider attacking the social safety net of vulnerable Americans in their twilight years as is evidenced by the recent video of a GOP congressman saying exactly that.
Welcome to the Truth of the Republican Party.