On their very first day back in power, House Republicans took steps to undermine the Social Security disability program. It’s a bit complicated, but essentially the House of Representatives passed a procedural rule that will make it very difficult to keep the disability program fully funded. Up until now, Congress could re-balance the Social Security payroll taxes between disability and retirement. This has happened eleven times since 1968. There has never been any controversy about such a re-balancing. Under the new rule, the House cannot re-balance unless there is either a tax increase or an across the board decrease in benefits for all Social Security beneficiaries.
Neither of these is going to ever happen.
There is no good faith basis for this action. This is simply an assault on the most vulnerable among us. The consequences are real. As early as next year, disability beneficiaries could see a 20% reduction in their already-meager monthly checks.
If the Republicans could not wait even one day to declare war on the disabled, including many, many veterans, I wonder what other tricks they have in store. Why the richest among us feel the need to demonize and punish the poorest is beyond me. I guess many of the self-professed Christians who voted for this rule slept through most of their Bible classes.
Matthew 25:40
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
