Social Security Debate Turns Ugly (VIDEO)
Video: Paul Ryan & Debbie Wasserman Schultz -- CNN Sep. 23, 2010
Watch the discussion disintegrate quickly into personal insult ping-pong.
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Did you see when Paul Ryan made Obama look like a child during the televised debate on health care, and left the Deficit President speechless.
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Text below is from Paul Ryan's youtube page
Congressman Paul Ryan continues his efforts to advance an adult conversation on the urgent need to protect Social Security for current and future generations. Ryan's efforts were met -- again -- with false attacks earlier today on CNN's Situation Room in a spirited exchange with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. By pushing desperate demagoguery and no solutions, leading Democrats threaten to shred the critical social safety net as our crushing burden of debt explodes and our critical health and retirement security programs collapse.
Facts on Social Security and Ryan's Roadmap
Should politicians continue to cling to the unsustainable status quo, Social Security will not be able to meet its promise to our seniors, imposing painful benefit cuts on those most reliant on this critical program. The Social Security Administration continues to warn of across-the-board 22% benefit cuts for seniors in the heart of their retirement when the Trust Fund is exhausted. Social Security continues to run annual cash deficits, with over $5 trillion in unfunded liabilities.
To meet this challenge, Congressman Paul Ryan offered an invitation for solutions -- putting forward a specific plan the Congressional Budget Office and the Social Security Administration's Chief Actuaries confirmed would save Social Security, making it sustainably solvent for current and future generations. Ryan's legislative proposal -- H.R. 4529, A Roadmap for America's Future -- makes no changes to Social Security for those 55 and older, while offering future seniors the same health and retirement security options enjoyed by Members of Congress.
- Ryan's reforms make no changes in the program for Americans 55 and older, while strengthening Social Security so it will be there for future generations.
- Ryan's Roadmap secures the social safety net where it is most needed -- providing an increased benefit for low-income individuals, while making modest adjustments in the continued growth of benefits for wealthier seniors.
- At the center of the false attacks are Ryan's proposal to offer future seniors (those now 54 and younger) the option of guaranteed, personal accounts to help fulfill the mission of retirement security.
- Under Ryan's Roadmap, future beneficiaries would remain in the traditional government-run system, unless they choose to direct a portion of their payroll taxes to guaranteed personal accounts, owned by the individual, managed by the Social Security Administration, and guaranteed by the Federal government. Neither the traditional system or optional accounts system would be privatized.
- In the personal-accounts system, the accounts are managed and overseen by Social Security Administration - not a stockbroker or private investment firm. Those choosing the personal-accounts option would select from a handful of low-risk, government-regulated options — just as Members of Congress and Federal employees do with the Thrift Savings Plan.
- Ryan's Roadmap includes a fully-financed, government-backed guarantee so that individuals would get back, at minimum, every dime contributed to the optional, Social Security-managed accounts offered to those now 54 and younger.
Additional links:
- Social Security Administration Actuaries on Ryan's Roadmap: http://www.roadmap.republicans.budget...
- Congressional Budget Office on Roadmap: http://www.roadmap.republicans.budget...
- Statement from Paul Ryan on the need for an adult conversation, and fact sheet: http://www.house.gov/budget_republica...
- Setting the Record Straight: http://www.roadmap.republicans.budget...
- PolitiFact: http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/s...
- PolitiFact: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-met...
- FactCheck.org: http://www.factcheck.org/2010/09/demo...
- The True Threat to the Safety Net: http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/...
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Further reading:
Oct 21, 2010 at 12:54 AM
Reader Comments (13)
(I loved this clip, btw)
REAL reform needed... takes openmindedness and listening skills.
At Paul Ryan Is Pretty, an informal poll reveals that the most hated Ryan vote is his "NO" on Obamacare, followed by his "YES" on the bailout ("and then complaining about it"). Pretty interesting considering the source.
http://paulryanispretty.blogspot.com/
I to have passed the eskimo test.
Your land is real, your minerals are real, your agriculture is real, your labor is real, and unlike the natives, we did not fall for pretty glass beads to have everything stolen from us. Just little pieces of paper with green ink on them backed by nothing and empty promises traded for your real wealth by fancy men with pretty suits, and not one callus on their delicate hands...
The "evaporation" of all this "wealth" is a play for something they want from you. None of it is accidental, Steve and I have both spoken of it, there is a very real consolidation of real wealth happening while we are being pushed down to a third world status believing in fiat and believing it is the pensioners, the homeowners, and the workers fault.
Study the real reasons it is happening like deregulation, etc., and ask yourself, " did the pensioners, homeowners, and workers want these things passed to benefit themselves, or was it the men with the delicate hands to benefit themselves at our expense.
Sure people were duped, and people got into bad loans, etc., that they couldn't afford, but how did they get there? My daughter and her husband were convinced by a banker they could afford a 250,000 dollar house in 2007 by the bank and were pre
approved. Thankfully I talked some sense into them even though they really wanted to believe the banker because he had such soft hands and a very effeminate handshake. I told them that I would feel more comfortable seeing them put the house payment in the bank for six months before buying a house to see if they could comfortably do it (I knew they couldn't). They tried, and realized that a 120,000 dollar house was more feasible for them.
Many fell for lies from the people that they accepted and in effect paid for advice from. Should people be more educated than they are? Absolutely, but does that absolve liars, charlatans, and thieves?
No.
I do recognize that there are also those who tried to play the system and lost, so lets not go there. If they tried to play the casino and went bust that is their loss. I do not believe the majority of Americans played the casino. I merely have to look around me to see entire communities lost as jobs have left and entire towns have suffered from the loss of revenue besides the human tragedy of those thousands upon thousands of people that just wanted to continue going to work, spending their money in their communities, and paying their bills.
Put the sunglasses on.
This was all started 20 years ago to go down in 2007-2008. It worked out way better than evan they could of predicted. None of this "Just Happened", it was planed.
I do recognize that there are also those who tried to play the system and lost, so lets not go there. If they tried to play the casino and went bust that is their loss. I do not believe the majority of Americans played the casino.
My son too. Bought a $195,000. house with white railling around 3 sides, 2 storys, and could neaver of afored'ed a $100.000. home. Lost it in 2 years. I feel No Pity, what so ever.
Hes on SSI, like me, and his wife is a Teller at their local bank. Maby he thought she would Rob it one night on the way home. I share No Pitty, what so ever for them folks.