Generally, three weeks before midterm elections that could make or break a party’s chances of congressional control, lawmakers emphasize the popular parts of their agenda. But for Republicans this year, not so.
And if people want to make a debt ceiling [for a longer period of time], just like anything else, there comes a point in time where, okay, we’ll provide you more money, but you got to change your current behavior.
All you effing people have to quit getting old and getting sick!!! Grrr!!!
If the armed burglar breaks into you home, points the gun at his head and says, “Give me your cash and valuables or I’ll kill myself,” what are you going to do?
Make sure the gun is loaded I guess.
Oh, c’mon, we’ve all lived with or dated one or two people that play that game.
Republicans will keep trying to cut the $$ to everyone on the levels below them -
NO LIFEBOATS FOR THE PASSENGERS IN STEERAGE!!!
Could GOPers really be so far up their own ideological ass to propose something as stupid as this? Hard to believe, but think back a few weeks ago, when the question was, could Liz Truss be so far up her own Thatcherite “free market” ass as to propose giant tax cuts for the wealthy as a response to inflation?
If you’ve been praying at the altar of St. Ronnie and chanting “Government isn’t the solution government is the problem” for forty-some years, no stupidity is entirely out of reach.
would you mind doing that out on the patio? - where it can be hosed off !!!
Perhaps a better question then “what will Republicans do if Republicans win control of either chamber” is “what should Democrats do if…”
Paul Krugman in his column today answers at leas part of that. Excerpts from his column are below.
"Nobody knows for sure what will happen in the midterm elections. But if Republicans take one or both houses of Congress, the most important question will be one that is getting hardly any public attention: What will the Biden administration do when the G.O.P. threatens to blow up the world economy by refusing to raise the debt limit?
In particular, will Democrats be prepared to take the extraordinary actions the situation will demand, doing whatever it takes to avoid being blackmailed?"
So what should be done to avert this threat? If Republicans do gain control of one or both houses in November, Democrats should use the lame-duck session to enact a very large rise in the debt limit, enough to put the issue on ice for years.
If for some reason Democrats don’t take this obvious step, the Biden administration should be prepared to turn to legal strategies for bypassing the debt limit.
The Obama administration was unwilling to go any of these routes, largely, I think, because it believed that they would look gimmicky and undignified, and it preferred to seek compromise. But surely Democrats don’t need to worry about dignity when the other party is ruled by Donald Trump. And in any case, they’re now confronting opponents who aren’t just radical but also anti-democracy; no real compromise is possible.
Of course, none of this will be relevant if Democrats hold Congress. But they should prepare for the worst."
I think President Obama’s words are appropriate here: Please proceed.
It’s nice to know that while GOOPers will rid working folks of the burden of the social safety net, theirs will stay in tact. Salaries at $175K, government provided healthcare, invaluable, and a work week that’s at least three days long with the occasional month off such as August to raise money to run for re-elections. How sweet it is.
Just fucking VOTE people.
Of course this proposed change will kick in mere months before I turn 65.
The problem is Republicans are not threatening to kill themselves but threatening to kill everyone.
That said, in my view the answer depends on the issue.
In the case of the debt ceiling that will blowup the world economy, we should say “go ahead”. The reason being is when you have the most you have the most to lose and this applies to establishment Republicans like the Koch brothers and blowing up the world economy by refusing to increase the debt ceiling.
In the case of Social Security that is a different matter. The Social Security Trust fund is a big pot of money that represents the savings of the middle and working class and Republicans want to raid those middle class savings and redistribute them to billionaires. In this while Americans lose, Republicans with the most have the most to gain and the answer is different.
But I agree with Paul Krugman that should Republicans win either chamber, Democrats should do what Republicans do at the state level and hold a lame duck session passing laws that make it harder if not impossible for Republicans cause harm.
Already did.
This is a Motivational Gift along the lines of Dobbs…and we have three weeks in which to act.
I don’t think the GOOPs can get in the way of this big change coming our way but it seems to be a revival of Tea Party insanity.
The 8.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to more than 65 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2023. Increased payments to more than 7 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 30, 2022. (Note: some people receive both Social Security and SSI benefits)
Note: (very important)
They take their cues from authoritarian arrogance. No Democrat (except for Sinema 
) would be that cluelessly arrogant.
Seeing that picture at the top tells me Qevin practices the old adage, keep your friends close but your enemies closer.
Separate subject. If the rethugs want to help secure Social Security and Medicare just eliminate the cap. They can keep their corporate donors happy by keeping the cap on that part but open up individual contributions.
I don’t have the survey citation at my finger tips, but it seems like a lot of younger people are very pessimistic. They think that there will be no SS and Medicare for them when they reach retirement age. They’d rather have the money. Of course, the problem is that a lot of these people wouldn’t establish private retirement accounts unless it was a government mandate. The punchline to all of this, of course, is that Wall Street really really lusts after the money.