Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and House Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) led an event for hundreds of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security recipients yesterday to tell the supercommittee that entitlement programs should not be considered in their deficit reduction plan, according to a Talk Radio News Service report.
The supercommittee has until Nov. 23 to cut $1.2 trillion over 10 years from the U.S. budget. The lawmakers holding yesterday's event said that Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are not the causes of the national debt and should be salvaged.
"This country in fact does have a serious deficit problem, but the reality is that the deficit was caused by two wars unpaid for, it was caused by huge tax breaks for the wealthiest people in the country, it was caused by a recession as a result of the greed, recklessness, and illegal behavior on Wall Street," Sen. Sanders said in the report. "If those are the causes of the deficit and the national debt, I will be damned if we will balance the budget on the backs of the elderly, the sick, the children and the poor."
The supercommittee has until Nov. 23 to cut $1.2 trillion over 10 years from the U.S. budget. The lawmakers holding yesterday's event said that Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are not the causes of the national debt and should be salvaged.
"This country in fact does have a serious deficit problem, but the reality is that the deficit was caused by two wars unpaid for, it was caused by huge tax breaks for the wealthiest people in the country, it was caused by a recession as a result of the greed, recklessness, and illegal behavior on Wall Street," Sen. Sanders said in the report. "If those are the causes of the deficit and the national debt, I will be damned if we will balance the budget on the backs of the elderly, the sick, the children and the poor."
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