Social Security & Medicare

From their inception, Republicans and conservatives have hated both Social Security (1935) and Medicare (1965). They have tried relentlessly since then to weaken and kill both programs in order to free up public funds for tax breaks for the wealthy and the corporations. Their view is that both are welfare programs, in contrast to free government money for elites and big business.

These are not welfare programs; they are valuable insurance programs for working and retired people that they have paid into them with taxes during their careers. Despite all the claims of gloom and doom, these programs are financially strong well into the future and America should take steps to ensure they remain so.

As FDR reminded the nation, “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.”

 

 

The NDP Approach:

1. Double Social Security payments to seniors

2. Lower the Medicare eligibility age to include everyone

3. End the cap on Social Security taxes for individuals & businesses and increase the SS tax for multinational businesses

4. Strengthen the social safety net to ensure all citizens are not hungry, have health care, and have money for the necessities

 

  

Resources:

The Case for a 21st Century New Deal: Passing FDR's Economic Bill of Rights