Just in case you were wondering how important your vote is in the November 6th mid-term elections, here is an urgent reminder of all that is at stake: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) just announced he’s going to try to cut Social Security and Medicare next year.
Surprise, surprise! In December 2017, they pass a $1.5 trillion dollar tax cut for billionaires and big business. The tax cut explodes the deficit. And then in 2018, cynical politicians like McConnell use the deficit to demand cuts to Social Security and Medicare.
Just call it the McConnell Scam.
Last November before the Senate passed its corporate tax giveaway, I wrote: “the giant hole the bill blows in the deficit will surely lead to fierce efforts by bill proponents to cut or privatize Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in the future.”
I hate to say I told you so, but that day has come. Or more accurately, it will come if McConnell stays in charge of the Senate.
The fact is this: McConnell doesn’t care one iota about deficits. Indeed, the deficit has increased 77 percent since he became majority leader in 2015. It hit $779 billion this year and will approach $1 trillion next year. All largely due to his tax cut.
So when it came time to loot the federal treasury to benefit the wealthy and their corporate donors, the deficit didn’t matter to McConnell, outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan and President Trump. But when it comes to their real goal — slashing Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and every other federal program that benefits working families, retirees and struggling Americans — suddenly, deficits are the worst thing in the world!
And on top of all this, McConnell just said that if Republicans keep control of the Senate, they’ll repeal the Affordable Care Act, after falling just one vote short last year. That could throw as many as 30 million Americans into the ranks of the uninsured.
Here’s the bottom line: If you want to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and if you want to keep your fellow Americans from losing their health care coverage, you must vote to change control of the Senate and House. It’s time to kick out the lying, cheating pro-billionaire, anti-worker forces running Congress today and elect a new majority that will fight for working families, for a change.
Remember: Vote November 6th!
Daniel E. Stepano
General President
