February 22, 2023

Trump's former Vice President, Mike Pence, told CNBC the real problem with the national debt is social safety nets, yet when pressed on what he would propose, he offered up a word salad response. Then the hosts pressed him, and he admitted he'll demand cutting the programs.

"While I respect the Speaker's commitment to take social security and medicare off the table for the debt ceiling negotiations, we've got to put them on the table in the long term right now --- we're looking at a debt crisis in this country over the next 25 years that is driven by entitlements nobody in Washington, D.C. wants to talk about it," Pence said.

When pressed on what he would propose, Pence used phrases like 'educating the people,' 'having a conversation,' 'presidential leadership,' and his grandkids.

"First and foremost, you have to explain what's going on. It's unsustainable," he said.

"I understand that, but for you, on entitlements, what's on the table?"

"I think it begins with education, begins with having the American people understand that it doesn't stop at $32 trillion when you look at the deficits that are projected over the next 30 years, social security and medicare and other areas," he continued.

It took several tries before Pence said he wasn't "dodging the question" and then offered up the same tired ideas mentioned by Republicans, like raising the retirement age and privatizing Social Security by using savings accounts. In reality, Pence is promoting massive cuts to our social safety nets.

Social Security doesn't add to the national debt at all. It's interesting that Pence never included Medicare in his attacks on Social Security.

When asked why when he was in office, why the Trump administration did nothing to address the issue of national debt and federal spending. Pence blamed COVID, but the debt rose by trillions under Trump via tax cuts for billionaires, way before COVID and social safety nets were never discussed.

Only when a Democrat is in office do Republicans complain about federal spending and national debt. They use it to try and destroy anything related to the New Deal and any federal program that helps the working class. If the government works, then Republicans fail.

Maybe Pence could read some common sense thoughts by Paul Krugman: Why Medicare and Social Security Are Sustainable (emphasis mine):

...C.B.O. projections now show social insurance spending as a percentage of G.D.P. eventually rising by about 5 points, which is still a lot but not unimaginably large. And here’s the thing: Half of that is still the assumed rise in health care costs. And there are things we can do to control costs that don’t involve cutting off Americans’ benefits. Bear in mind both that U.S. health care is far more expensive than that of any other nation — without delivering better results — and that since 2010 we’ve already done quite a lot to “bend the curve.”

Since 2010? Thanks Obama!

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