DeLauro Responds to Fiscal Commission Proposal and Recommended Social Security Cuts
November 10, 2010
Washington, DC—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) released the following statement today in response to the proposal by the President's bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform Co-Chairs, including their call for cuts to Social Security.
"Social Security ties generations together and decreasing benefits while increasing the retirement age should not be central to deficit reduction efforts. In particular, millions of seniors across the country rely on the Social Security program and continue to struggle in today's economy—cutting their annual cost of living increases is simply unfair. We should be modernizing the Social Security Administration's outdated COLA formula to reflect what America's seniors are dealing with, not denying them this basic adjustment in benefits to keep pace with inflation and their actual expenses.
"I have worked with my colleagues on the Seniors Protection Act, which would provide a one-time, $250 payment to seniors who were denied a COLA increase for the second consecutive year. Permanently cutting the COLA increases would be an egregious error. We need to help our seniors, not make their lives more difficult."
The proposal also lays out recommendations for discretionary and mandatory spending cuts, as well as tax reform.
"Recognizing the difficult long-term fiscal challenges posed by the deficit, I supported this year reinstituting pay-as-you go rules waived under the Republican-controlled Congress and a 2011 budget that capped non-defense discretionary spending near 2010 levels. I believe we can also reduce our deficits by allowing the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans to expire and winding down the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. I will only support deficit reduction measures that I believe protect the middle class, our seniors, and the public health while ensuring we make the needed investments to keep our economy globally competitive."
"Social Security ties generations together and decreasing benefits while increasing the retirement age should not be central to deficit reduction efforts. In particular, millions of seniors across the country rely on the Social Security program and continue to struggle in today's economy—cutting their annual cost of living increases is simply unfair. We should be modernizing the Social Security Administration's outdated COLA formula to reflect what America's seniors are dealing with, not denying them this basic adjustment in benefits to keep pace with inflation and their actual expenses.
"I have worked with my colleagues on the Seniors Protection Act, which would provide a one-time, $250 payment to seniors who were denied a COLA increase for the second consecutive year. Permanently cutting the COLA increases would be an egregious error. We need to help our seniors, not make their lives more difficult."
The proposal also lays out recommendations for discretionary and mandatory spending cuts, as well as tax reform.
"Recognizing the difficult long-term fiscal challenges posed by the deficit, I supported this year reinstituting pay-as-you go rules waived under the Republican-controlled Congress and a 2011 budget that capped non-defense discretionary spending near 2010 levels. I believe we can also reduce our deficits by allowing the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans to expire and winding down the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. I will only support deficit reduction measures that I believe protect the middle class, our seniors, and the public health while ensuring we make the needed investments to keep our economy globally competitive."