On the same day that U.S. millionaires stop paying into Social Security for the rest of the year, President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)—who wants to slash the safety net program—was confirmed to that post by the U.S. Senate.
Citing his support for cutting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, lawmakers and advocacy groups took to social media on Thursday to denounce Rep. Mick Mulvaney’s (R-S.C.) nomination to head OMB. During his confirmation hearing last month, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) voiced concern that Mulvaney’s views were “way, way out of touch with what President Trump campaigned on.” (Sanders elaborated in a tweet storm highlighting several instances in which the Tea Party Republican went on the record as wanting to slash funding for the programs and raise the retirement age.)
But Democrats’ opposition (plus that of Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain) wasn’t enough to stop Mulvaney’s confirmation with a 51-49 vote on Thursday morning (roll call here).
As with other cabinet confirmations, groups warned that Thursday’s vote will have electoral consequences when Trump’s campaign hypocrisies are inevitably exposed.
“Voters will be looking to see if Trump breaks one of his top campaign promises by allowing Mulvaney to push his radical plan to cut Medicare and Social Security—and force millions of American seniors into poverty,” said Kait Sweeney, press secretary for the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. “Any senator—Republican or Democrat—who sides with Mulvaney and Trump’s radical agenda that benefits bankers and billionaires at the expense of working families should expect fierce opposition in 2018 from Trump’s own voters.”
Now, its up to members of Congress and senior advocates to hold the line against potential cuts, while continuing their push to strengthen Social Security.
“Voters will be looking to see if Trump breaks one of his top campaign promises by allowing Mulvaney to push his radical plan to cut Medicare and Social Security—and force millions of American seniors into poverty.”
—Kait Sweeney,Progressive Change Campaign Committee
To that end, Sanders and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) will on Thursday introduce the Social Security Expansion Act, which they say would protect and expand Social Security and pay for it by eliminating the cap for payroll income above $250,000 as well as applying a 6.2 percent Social Security tax to investment income for high-income households.
The bill’s introduction was pegged to the day some described as a late Valentine to millionaires. “Between the end of their payroll taxes for the year, and Mulvaney’s…confirmation, Thursday could turn out to be an especially pleasant day for millionaires,” Campaign for America’s Future senior fellow Richard Eskow wrote in an op-ed.
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