Republican House to block an administrative procedure within the Social Security

[Agnosticsherbet]

One of my faceoook friends, a disabled former Railroad employee, shared this with me. It appears that Republicans have tried to slip changes to Social Security into a bill that will directly harm the disabled.

From the Legislative Director for the National Association of Retired & Veteran Railway Empolyee's

Narvre Unit 59 Boone Iowa

From the Legislative Office:

As reported, the recent actions (Jan 6) of the Republican House to block an administrative procedure within the Social Security system is yet another veiled attempt to bring undue harm to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and it's beneficiaries, specifically, those in the disability program. This article (below) lays out yet another scheme that was discovered when the Republican leadership slipped a provision into a routine rules bill that will block an internal financial procedure (reallocation) between SSA trust funds. There will be legislation introduced soon in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) that will serve to strengthen the Social Security system, and protect the benefits of millions of Americans that have paid into the system. It is a travesty that the GOP leadership in the House would set up the Social Security Disability program for benefit cuts projected to be at 20 percent in 2016. Railroad Retirement works with the Social Security Administration in many ways, and NARVRE will stand with millions of other retirees across America to ensure that Congress understands that we expect them to protect Social Security and Railroad Retirement and the benefits of it's beneficiaries. This latest action reminds us all that there are consequences to elections. The legislation referred to had no hearing and no discussion. The rules bill passed the House by a vote of 234-172, with all Democrats opposed and almost every Republican in favor. We will keep you advised, more information in the Feb Newsletter...

I don't have access to their Feb Newsletter, but this reveals that Republicans are more than willing to disassemble Social Security, no matter who it harms.

[Agnosticsherbet]

1. Story from Jan 6 (New GOP Congress Fires Shot At Social Security On Day One)

New GOP Congress Fires Shot At Social Security On Day One
With a little-noticed proposal, Republicans took aim at Social Security on the very first day of the 114th Congress.

The incoming GOP majority approved late Tuesday a new rule that experts say could provoke an unprecedented crisis that conservatives could use as leverage in upcoming debates over entitlement reform.

The largely overlooked change puts a new restriction on the routine transfer of tax revenues between the traditional Social Security retirement trust fund and the Social Security disability program. The transfers, known as reallocation, had historically been routine; the liberal Center for Budget and Policy Priorities said Tuesday that they had been made 11 times. The CBPP added that the disability insurance program "isn't broken," but the program has been strained by demographic trends that the reallocations are intended to address.

The House GOP's rule change would still allow for a reallocation from the retirement fund to shore up the disability fund -- but only if an accompanying proposal "improves the overall financial health of the combined Social Security Trust Funds," per the rule, expected to be passed on Tuesday. While that language is vague, experts say it would likely mean any reallocation would have to be balanced by new revenues or benefit cuts.

[Turbineguy]

2. Harming the disabled

is especially satisfying to republicans.

[Agnosticsherbet]

3. I bet they praised Jesus after they tried that.