Topics in the News: Entitlement Reform
Donald Trump on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Sep 28, 2020)
Improve Medicare by looking for fraud, waste and abuse
Q: How could your administration provide more support for the nation's army of roughly 40 million unpaid family caregivers?TRUMP: We're looking at that very seriously. These are incredible people.
They have been unrecognized for the job they do, and if they didn't do that job, we'd be swamped; our hospitals and our health care system would be swamped.
Q: That would be through Medicare or Medicaid?
TRUMP: We think so, yes. We're looking at that as being probably the best alternative. Management can be improved. One of the biggest ways of doing that, as you know, is look at fraud, waste and abuse.
By the way, [Medicare] Part D premiums are lower by around 12 percent. We've done a lot, but there is a big thing on fraud, waste and abuse, and we'll take care of that.
Click for Donald Trump on other issues.
Source: AARP Survey on 2020 Presidential hopefuls
Mike Pence on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Sep 22, 2020)
Medicare & Medicaid greatest threat to those under 40
In a The Indianapolis Star letter to the editor Mike Pence wrote, "The most ominous consequence of a universal drug benefit could be that it will usher in the beginning of socialized medicine in America." [Indianapolis Star, 6/26/03]
Pence termed entitlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid as 'the greatest threat there is to those under the age of 40.'
He said Medicare and Medicaid in their current forms 'threaten the economic vitality of future generations' and are currently 'fraught with waste, fraud and abuse.'
He recommended states be put in charge of Medicaid programs." [Decatur Daily Democrat, 4/28/11]
Click for Mike Pence on other issues.
Source: Trump Research Book on Mike Pence
Mike Pence on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Sep 22, 2020)
Pay uninsured $1000 a year to buy health insurance
[Mike Pence for Congress via Wayback Machine, 2000]: "Congress should address the 44 million uninsured working Americans by enacting the Faircare for the Uninsured Act of 1999 (H.R. 2362). Under the Faircare credit, each working adult
(excepting those already covered by an employer plan, those on Medicaid or Medicare) would receive $1000 each year, tax free, to buy health insurance and an additional $500 for each child up to a $1000 for two or more children."
Click for Mike Pence on other issues.
Source: Trump Research Book on Mike Pence
Mike Bloomberg on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Feb 26, 2020)
2011: We're going to cut back Medicaid and Medicare
In January 2011, Bloomberg argued we'd have to do something about Medicare and Medicaid."When you listen to them talk at a federal level, 'I'm going to cut the deficit.' You know, every new group that comes through--keep in mind 2/3 of the federal
budget is entitlements and debt service. Debt Service legally, you can't touch, entitlements means seniors. We're going to cut back Medicaid and Medicare, we're going to have to do something, but that's going to be a very tough lift," Bloomberg said.
Click for Mike Bloomberg on other issues.
Source: CNN K-File FactCheck on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Mike Bloomberg on Entitlement Reform:
(Social Security Feb 26, 2020)
2009: Called Social Security a "Ponzi scheme"
Bloomberg compared Social Security to a "Ponzi scheme" and repeatedly said cuts to that program as well as Medicare and Medicaid had to be part of any serious solution to reducing the federal deficit. "I don't know if Bernie Madoff got his idea from
there, but if there's ever a Ponzi scheme, people say Madoff was the biggest? Wrong. Social Security is, far and away," Bloomberg said in a January 2009 appearance, referencing the imprisoned former investment adviser who committed billions in fraud.
Click for Mike Bloomberg on other issues.
Source: CNN K-File FactCheck on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Mike Bloomberg on Entitlement Reform:
(Social Security Feb 26, 2020)
2009: Social Security a Ponzi scheme, 2020: boost receipts
Bloomberg vowed to "strengthen entitlement programs." But when he was mayor of New York, Bloomberg twice compared Social Security to a "Ponzi scheme" and repeatedly said cuts to that program as well as Medicare and Medicaid had to be part of
any serious solution to reducing the federal deficit. "I don't know if Bernie Madoff got his idea from there, but if there's ever a Ponzi scheme, people say Madoff was the biggest?
Wrong. Social Security is, far and away," Bloomberg said in a January 2009 appearance.
A spokesman for Bloomberg defended him: "Mike believes that between now and that time, we will need to boost receipts by raising contributions from those who can best afford it."
Click for Mike Bloomberg on other issues.
Source: CNN K-file on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Joe Biden on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Feb 20, 2020)
Public option for ObamaCare; $50 billion for research
Q: How do you plan to fix the Affordable Care Act's problems?BIDEN: I would restore all the cuts this president has made in the Affordable Care Act, across the board. I add what they call a public option, and that is a Medicare-like option.
If you wanted to buy into that option or if you didn't have the money, you would be able to get it for free. So it's Medicare if you want it. If you qualify for Medicaid and you don't have it in your state, you're automatically enrolled.
There is no waiting for anything.
Secondly, we make sure we reduce drug prices, as well, allowing Medicare to be able to negotiate with the drug companies the cost of drugs. And I would invest over $50 billion to focus on the diseases that cause the
most damage and cost the most--cancer, Alzheimer's, and obesity.
We should have a department that says what we're going to do is spend the money needed that the drug companies are unwilling to spend or unable to spend to make sure that we find cures.
Click for Joe Biden on other issues.
Source: CNN Town Hall 2020 with Anderson Cooper
Cory Booker on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Oct 10, 2019)
Forbid charging more for drugs in U.S. than elsewhere
Q: A drug called Truvada provides almost absolute protection against becoming HIV-positive. A monthly supply costs less than $6 to make. However, its manufacturer charges more than $1,600. What actions would you take to address this cost barrier?
BOOKER: We're going to use Medicaid, Medicare to negotiate down prices, taking patents away from companies that unjustly raise their prices, creating a law that you cannot raise the price of drugs higher in this country than you're selling in others.
Click for Cory Booker on other issues.
Source: CNN LGBT Town Hall 2020
Amy Klobuchar on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Jun 26, 2019)
Medicare/Medicaid can be step towards universal care
I think we share the goal of universal health care. This idea is that you use Medicare or Medicaid without any insurance companies involved, you can do it either way. And the estimates are 13 million people would see a reduction in their premiums,
12 more million people would get covered. I think it is a beginning and the way you start and the way you move to universal health care.
Click for Amy Klobuchar on other issues.
Source: June Democratic Primary debate (first night in Miami)
Donald Trump on Entitlement Reform:
(Budget & Economy Jun 25, 2019)
I alone can fix it, with massive tax cut
The Republican Party nominated a candidate who promised to deliver "a giant, beautiful, massive" tax cut; pass "one of the largest increases in national defense spending in American history"; and "not touch Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid."
How would Donald Trump pull off this math-defying act? "I alone can fix it," he had claimed in his nomination speech.
He would erase our debt in eight years by "vigorously eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government, ending redundant government programs, and growing the economy," as well by "renegotiating all of our [debt] deals."
What he actually did was cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans and explode our deficit.
Click for Donald Trump on other issues.
Source: Land of Flickering Lights, by Michael Bennet, p.149
Amy Klobuchar on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Apr 22, 2019)
Supports public option for Medicaid & Medicare
First of all, we need to bring down premiums -- and they're affecting everyone. You can do that many ways. One of my major proposals is to bring back that Public Option idea that's been floating around, that should have been put in, in the first place.
That gives you a choice. You could do it with Medicaid, you can do it with Medicare, so that you have a less expensive option to pick from.
Click for Amy Klobuchar on other issues.
Source: CNN Town Hall 2020: 5 candidates back-to-back
Amy Klobuchar on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Mar 31, 2019)
For public option, taking on Big Pharma
As president, I would immediately put in a public option proposal to Congress and that could be for Medicaid or Medicare. But that is also a way to get to our goal of universal health care coverage. I would make sure that we have negotiations for prices
under Medicare, that we bring in less expensive drugs from places like Canada and that we stop the practice where big pharma pays off their competitors to keep their products off the market.
Click for Amy Klobuchar on other issues.
Source: ABC This Week 2019 interviews for 2020 Democratic primary
Amy Klobuchar on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Feb 18, 2019)
Medicare-for-All for the future; public option now
Q: Your opinion on expanding ObamaCare?A: I believe we have to get to universal health care in this country. We have to make sure that we build on the work of the Affordable Care Act. We need to expand coverage so that people can have a choice for a
public option. You can do it with Medicare. You could also do it with Medicaid. This is a bill that I am an original co-sponsor of. It basically says let's expand Medicaid so you can buy into Medicaid and it will bring the prices down and we can cover
more people. The other part of the equation is doing something about prescription drugs. I have one of the original bills to push to have Medicare negotiate prices, lift the ban, bring in less expensive drugs from Canada and stop the practice where
pharma pays off generics to keep their products off the market.
Q: And Medicare for all?
A: I think it's something that we can look to for the future, but I want to get action now.
Click for Amy Klobuchar on other issues.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Howard Schultz on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Jan 18, 2019)
Single-payer health care is a false promise
Schultz earned praise for the benefits he provided Starbucks retail workers, including health-care coverage options for part-time employees. But he also has signaled a willingness to break with Democratic orthodoxy. "We have to go after entitlements,"
he said in the CNBC interview last year. He also dismissed as "false promises" the proposals for single-payer health care and guaranteed federal jobs that have become popular on the left, saying that they were fiscally unworkable.
Click for Howard Schultz on other issues.
Source: Washington Post on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Beto O`Rourke on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Oct 18, 2018)
Open to different ways to get to universal health care
We could expand Medicaid. We could introduce Medicare as an option on the exchanges. Concerned about rising premium costs? Let's control them with some downward pressure by introducing Medicare as an option, lower price,
expand selection and choice. There are many roads that will get us there. It may not happen all at once. It may take us some time. We can't allow the perfect to become the enemy of the good.
Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Ron DeSantis on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Oct 9, 2018)
Repeal ObamaCare; health care isn't a right
Q: Support or Repeal ACA, aka ObamaCare? Accept ACA's Medicaid expansion to subsidize low-income participants?Ron DeSantis (R): Voted to repeal ACA. No FL Medicaid expansion. Says health care isn't a right. The right is to pursue the
type of healthcare you want. ObamaCare infringes on that.
Andrew Gillum (D): Support & strengthen ACA, guarantee care for pre-existing conditions, expand Medicaid in Florida. Work toward "Medicare for all."
Click for Ron DeSantis on other issues.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Florida Governor race
Joe Biden on Entitlement Reform:
(Social Security Aug 7, 2018)
Freeze entitlements; don't favor special interests
Biden toured the country in 1985 chiding groups like unions and farmers for being too narrowly focused and complained that Democrats too often "think in terms of special interests first and the greater interest second."
In the latter case, Biden was specifically complaining about their opposition to his calls for a spending freeze on entitlements and an increase in the retirement age.
Click for Joe Biden on other issues.
Source: Jacobin Magazine on 2020 presidential hopefuls
John Hickenlooper on Entitlement Reform:
(Education Aug 6, 2017)
Reinvent bipartisan apprenticeships & workforce training
Q [to Kasich]: Are you working with Gov. Hickenlooper on issues other than healthcare?Gov. John KASICH (R-OH): Gov. Hickenlooper and I have talked about the issue of entitlements, to get this problem of rising debt under control. This could be a good
start.
HICKENLOOPER: [Our bipartisan model could apply to] almost anything. Look at the need to reinvent the way we do work force training: 2/3 of our kids are never going to get a 4-year college degree, and we really haven't been able to prepare them
for an economy where the new generation of jobs require some technical capability. We need to look at apprenticeships. We need to look at all kinds of internships. That's the kind of thing that Republicans and Democrats could work on together.
And go down the list, all the economic development work. Those are issues where we should be able to roll up our sleeves say, "we may disagree about this, but we all agree that we want to make sure that everybody has a chance to earn their own future."
Click for John Hickenlooper on other issues.
Source: CBS Face the Nation 2017 interviews of 2020 hopefuls
John Kasich on Entitlement Reform:
(Social Security Aug 6, 2017)
Deal with all entitlements or we'll drown in debt
Q: You've been working with Gov. Hickenlooper (D-CO) on healthcare--KASICH: Look, this is just insurance. At some point, we have got to deal with the underlying problem that is caused by rising health care. At the same time, Gov. Hickenlooper and
I have talked about the issue of entitlements. Look, we're going to drown our children and grandchildren in debt, which is going to kill our economy, if we don't begin to deal with Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, all the entitlements, and start
to get this problem of rising debt under control. So, this could be a good start.
Q [to Hickenlooper]: Are there other issues on which governors can work together like this?
Gov. John HICKENLOOPER (D-CO):
Oh, sure, almost anything. We should be able to roll up our sleeves say, "we may disagree about this, but we all agree that we want to make sure that everybody has a chance to earn their own future."
Click for John Kasich on other issues.
Source: CBS Face the Nation 2017 interviews of 2020 hopefuls
John Kasich on Entitlement Reform:
(Homeland Security Apr 25, 2017)
Cutting Pentagon budget doesn't weaken defense
[In the 1980s when I sought to cut wasteful spending in the military], my thinking was this: Just because you're out to curb some of the ridiculous costs doesn't mean you're out to weaken the nation's defense. The Pentagon budget was bloated; yet only
a few people were speaking out against it. The talk all over Washington was about the need for cuts in our social welfare and entitlement programs, while there was an unspoken agreement that we were not supposed to be critical of our defense spending.
Click for John Kasich on other issues.
Source: Two Paths, by John Kasich, p. 99
Rand Paul on Entitlement Reform:
(Budget & Economy Oct 28, 2015)
Use debt ceiling to force fiscal reform & discipline
Q: Do you oppose that budget deal because it doesn't cut those programs enough?A: No, I oppose it because you're taking money from the entitlement and then spending it n other items. They're taking money from Social Security, and they're going to
spend it on the military and they're going to spend it on domestic spending. When you look at raising the debt limit, it should be leveraged to try to reform government. We should use the debt ceiling to force budgetary reform.
Click for Rand Paul on other issues.
Source: GOP "Your Money/Your Vote" 2015 CNBC 1st-tier debate
John Kasich on Entitlement Reform:
(Principles & Values Oct 28, 2015)
Get this country moving again
My concern is we are on the verge, perhaps, of picking someone who cannot do this job. I've watched people say we should dismantle Medicare and Medicaid. I've heard them talk about deporting 10 or 11 million people, splitting families.
I've heard about tax schemes that don't add up. We need somebody who can lead; we need somebody who can balance budgets, cut taxes. I did it in Washington, in Ohio, and I will do it again, if I am President, to get this country moving again.
Click for John Kasich on other issues.
Source: GOP "Your Money/Your Vote" 2015 CNBC 1st-tier debate
John Kasich on Entitlement Reform:
(Social Security Oct 10, 2015)
Fix Social Security by lowering benefits
We can't balance a budget without entitlement reform. What are we, kidding? He initially said young people would see "a lot" lower benefit, before correcting himself to
say perhaps not "a lot," but some amount. Kasich told reporters that Democrats "basically allowed this program to get to a point where it could go bankrupt" and said they should focus on proposals to fix the problem.
Click for John Kasich on other issues.
Source: CNN 2015 coverage of 2016 presidential hopefuls
Rand Paul on Entitlement Reform:
(Tax Reform Aug 9, 2015)
Flat tax 14.5% on personal income; & 14.5% value added tax
Q: You favor a flat tax of 14.5% on personal income and a 14.5% European style VAT. That is estimated to result in a $3 trillion loss in revenue over a decade. 80% of the money that this government spends is on entitlements and servicing the debt. What
do you do?PAUL: We have to look at everything across the board and all of government needs to be smaller. I have put forward three five-year plans that balance the budget over five years, including significant tax cuts. If you want a Republican
that's going to keep government the same size by having revenue neutral tax and not really cutting tax, I'm not the guy. The Tax Foundation said that my plan would create millions of jobs and that mine is the most pro-growth tax plan ever presented.
[My tax plan] helps the poor and the working class because my tax plan gets rid of the payroll tax. Social Security will be paid for by businesses and not by individuals, so a guy making $40,000 a year will get $2,000 more in their check every year.
Click for Rand Paul on other issues.
Source: Fox News Sunday 2015 coverage of 2016 presidential hopefuls
Donald Trump on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Jun 16, 2015)
Don't cut Medicare; grow the economy to keep benefits
What does Donald Trump believe? Entitlements: Do not cut Social Security or Medicare benefits. Grow the economy to save those programs.The real estate tycoon told CPAC in 2013 that Republicans should not cut Social Security or Medicare because most
Americans want to keep the benefits as they stand now. His solution is unclear, but he has indicated that general economic growth would play a role. Trump tweeted in May that he knows "where to get the money from" and "nobody else does."
Click for Donald Trump on other issues.
Source: PBS News Hour "2016 Candidate Stands" series
Bernie Sanders on Entitlement Reform:
(Social Security Mar 21, 2015)
Strengthen the social safety net, instead of weakening it
Millions of seniors live in poverty and we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of any major country. We must strengthen the social safety net, not weaken it.
Instead of cutting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and nutrition programs, we should be expanding these programs.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: 2016 presidential campaign website, BernieSanders.com
Bernie Sanders on Entitlement Reform:
(Social Security Jan 15, 2015)
We must strengthen the social safety net, not weaken it
Protecting the Most Vulnerable Americans:
Millions of seniors live in poverty and we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of any major country. We must strengthen the social safety net, not weaken it. Instead of cutting
Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and nutrition programs, we should be expanding these programs.Health Care as a Right for All:
The United States must join the rest of the industrialized world and recognize that health care is a right of all, and not a privilege. Despite the fact that more than 40 million
Americans have no health insurance, we spend almost twice as much per capita on health care as any other nation. We need to establish a Medicare-for-all, single-payer system.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: 12 Steps Forward, by Sen. Bernie Sanders
Cory Booker on Entitlement Reform:
(Social Security Aug 23, 2013)
Don't raise retirement age, except maybe for young workers
Booker has been deemed suspicious when it comes to entitlement reform. The sole concrete criticism was Booker "hinting that he'd be open to raising the Social Security retirement age for young people -- before backtracking furiously when progressives
called him on it." Booker had been paraphrased in the Bergen Record as saying that he "opposes raising the retirement age for most people in the country -- except, perhaps, for people in their 20s or younger."
When the vagueness of that position prompted furious criticism, Booker tweeted that he opposes all cuts to Social Security and Medicare; would, if anything, expand the programs; and also opposes raising the retirement age and curbing benefits
through the "chained CPI" inflation index. But the case against Booker seems to rest chiefly on tone and approach. It seems clear Booker will not be riding to Washington on a wave of esteem from national progressives.
Click for Cory Booker on other issues.
Source: The Atlantic, "Why Do Liberals Hate Booker," by Molly Ball,
Donald Trump on Entitlement Reform:
(Immigration Mar 15, 2013)
Citizenship for illegal immigrants is a GOP suicide mission
Donald Trump said the Republican party will lose elections if it reforms the nation's entitlement programs and will hand
Democrats 11 million votes if Congress grants citizenship to illegal immigrants, likening the reform efforts to a "suicide mission."
"The fact is 11 million people will be voting Democratic. You can be out front. You can be the spearhead. You can do whatever you want to do, but every one of those 11 million people will be voting Democratic," he said. "It is just the way it
works.""You have to be very, very careful, because you could say that to a certain extent the odds aren't looking so great for Republicans, that you are on a suicide mission," he said. "You are just not going to get those votes."
Click for Donald Trump on other issues.
Source: 2013 Conservative Political Action Conf. in Washington Times
Donald Trump on Entitlement Reform:
(Social Security Mar 15, 2013)
Cannot change Medicare or Soc.Sec. and still win elections
[At CPAC, Trump said}: "As Republicans, if you think you are going to change very substantially for the worse Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security in any substantial way, and at the same time you think you are going to win elections, it
just really is not going to happen," Mr. Trump said, adding that polls show that tea partyers are among those who don't want their entitlements changed. "What we have to do and the way we solve our problems it to build a great economy."
Click for Donald Trump on other issues.
Source: 2013 Conservative Political Action Conf. in Washington Times
Barack Obama on Entitlement Reform:
(Budget & Economy Feb 12, 2013)
Uphold full faith & credit of US; keep government open
I realize that tax reform and entitlement reform won't be easy. The politics will be hard for both sides. None of us will get 100 percent of what we want. But the alternative will cost us jobs, hurt our economy, and visit hardship on millions of
hardworking Americans. So let's set party interests aside, and work to pass a budget that replaces reckless cuts with smart savings and wise investments in our future. And let's do it without the brinksmanship that stresses consumers and scares off
investors. The greatest nation on Earth cannot keep conducting its business by drifting from one manufactured crisis to the next. Let's agree, right here, right now, to keep the people's government open, pay our bills on time, and always
uphold the full faith and credit of the United States of America. The American people have worked too hard, for too long, rebuilding from one crisis to see their elected officials cause another.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: 2013 State of the Union Address
Tulsi Gabbard on Entitlement Reform:
(Social Security Nov 6, 2012)
No budget cuts to Medicare and Social Security
We need to protect Medicare and Social Security. We should always care for our kupuna and those who are unable to care for themselves; this is who we are. Many in Congress want to keep tax breaks for the wealthy and other "entitlements" and
instead cut costs by sacrificing Medicare and Social Security in order to get our budget under control. Sacrificing Medicare and Social Security is not acceptable and I will stand up against such efforts.
Click for Tulsi Gabbard on other issues.
Source: 2012 House campaign website, votetulsi.com, "Issues"
Joe Biden on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Oct 11, 2012)
Medicare gives seniors choice, even if Rx prices negotiated
BIDEN: If we just did one thing--allow Medicare to bargain for the cost of drugs like Medicaid can--that would save $156 billion right off the bat. RYAN: And it would deny seniors choices.
BIDEN: All you seniors out there, have you been denied
choices? Have you lost Medicare Advantage?
RYAN: Because it's working well right now.
BIDEN: Because we changed the law!
Q: Why not very slowly raise the Medicare eligibility age by two years, as Congressman Ryan suggests?
BIDEN:
I was there when we did that with Social Security, in 1983. We made the system solvent to 2033. We will not, though, be part of any voucher [that says] when you're 65, go out there, shop for the best insurance you can get; you're out of Medicare.
This voucher will not keep pace with health care costs, because if it did keep pace with health care costs, there would be no savings.
RYAN: A voucher is you go to your mailbox, get a check and buy something. Nobody's proposing that.
Click for Joe Biden on other issues.
Source: 2012 Vice Presidential debate
Barack Obama on Entitlement Reform:
(Social Security Oct 3, 2012)
Tweak Social Security like Reagan did, but keep entitlements
Q: Do you see a major difference between the two of you on Social Security?OBAMA: I suspect that, on Social Security, we've got a somewhat similar position. Social Security is structurally sound. It's going to have to be tweaked the way it was by
Ronald Reagan and Democratic Speaker Tip O'Neill. But the basic structure is sound. But I want to talk about the values behind Social Security and Medicare--what's called entitlements.
You know, the name itself implies some sense of dependency on the part of these folks. These are folks who've worked hard, and there are millions of people out there who are counting on this. So my approach is to say, how do we strengthen
the system over the long term? And in Medicare, what we did was we said, we are going to have to bring down the costs if we're going to deal with our long-term deficits, but to do that, let's look where some of the money's going.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: First Obama-Romney 2012 Presidential debate
Rand Paul on Entitlement Reform:
(Budget & Economy Aug 29, 2012)
Not every military dollar is necessary,nor every entitlement
President Obama's administration will add nearly $6 trillion to our national debt in just one term. This explosion of debt is unconscionable and unsustainable. Mr. President, we will not let you bankrupt this great nation!Republicans and
Democrats alike must slay their sacred cows. Republicans must acknowledge that not every dollar spent on the military is necessary or well-spent, and Democrats must admit that domestic welfare and entitlements must be reformed.
Click for Rand Paul on other issues.
Source: 2012 Republican National Convention speech
Elizabeth Warren on Entitlement Reform:
(Social Security Jul 11, 2012)
No unnecessary cuts or risky privatization schemes
Most independent deficit analysts say entitlement projected spending will need to be reduced to solve the budget deficit. We should start there before we even consider breaking the promises we made to our seniors.
It would be a breach of trust--and just plain poor economic policy--to jeopardize these programs with unnecessary cuts or risky privatization schemes, especially when the wealthy and well-connected continue to enjoy special tax deals.
Click for Elizabeth Warren on other issues.
Source: Boston Globe questionnaire on 2012 Mass. Senate debate
Donald Trump on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Dec 5, 2011)
Kill ObamaCare before it becomes a trillion-ton weight
Obamacare can't be reformed, salvaged, or fixed. It's that bad. Obamacare has to be killed now before it grows into an even bigger mess, as it inevitably will. Obamacare takes full effect in 2014. If it's not repealed before then, it will be more than
just another failed government entitlement program--it will be the trillion-ton weight that finally takes down our economy forever.
Obamacare is a heat-seeking missile that will destroy jobs & small businesses; it will explode health-care costs; and it will lead to health care that is far less innovative than it is today. Every argument that you'd make against socialism you can make
against socialized health care, and any candidate who isn't 100% committed to scrapping Obamacare is not someone America should elect president. Repealing Obamacare may be one of the most important and consequential actions our next president takes.
Click for Donald Trump on other issues.
Source: Time to Get Tough, by Donald Trump, p.121-122
Donald Trump on Entitlement Reform:
(Social Security Dec 5, 2011)
Social Security isn't an "entitlement"; it's honoring a deal
Social Security faces a problem: 77 million baby boomers set to retire. Now I know there are some Republicans who would be just fine with allowing these programs to wither and die on the vine. The way they see it, Social Security and Medicare are
wasteful "entitlement programs." But people who think this way need to rethink their position. It's not unreasonable for people who paid into a system for decades to expect to get their money's worth--that's not an "entitlement," that's honoring a deal.
We as a society must also make an ironclad commitment to providing a safety net for those who can't make one for themselves.Social Security is here to stay. To be sure, we must reform it, root out the fraud, make it more efficient, and ensure that the
program is solvent.
Same goes for Medicare. Again, people have lived up to their end of the bargain and paid into the program in good faith. Of course they believe they're "entitled" to receive the benefits they paid for--they are!
Click for Donald Trump on other issues.
Source: Time to Get Tough, by Donald Trump, p. 68-69
Rand Paul on Entitlement Reform:
(Social Security Feb 11, 2011)
Raise retirement age gradually; allow opting out
With regard to entitlement reform, it has to happen. There isn't any question that it will happen. It's whether we do it gradually in a rational manner, or whether we wait until there's a collapse of the country and we have to do it dramatically.
Everybody knows the answer. I said it in my campaign. The Republicans attacked me for it and so did the Democrats. The age of Social Security will have to gradually rise. I got a note from a young man who worked in the campaign, and he may be here today.
He said, thanks for proposing the $500 billion in budget cuts, thanks for tackling the Social Security problem and then, I wouldn't mind opting out of Social Security. Is there anybody here who would like to opt out of Social Security? We need bold
leadership. We can't have this incrementalism. It's not going to be enough. You need bold leaders who will stand up & say, this should be done in Washington, but this should be left to states and localities respectively. One person can make a difference.
Click for Rand Paul on other issues.
Source: Speech at 2011 Conservative Political Action Conference
Barack Obama on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Jan 26, 2011)
Repealing healthcare reform would cost $250B
The bipartisan fiscal commission concluded that the only way to tackle our deficit is to cut excessive spending wherever we find it--in domestic spending, defense spending, health care spending, and spending through tax breaks and loopholes.
This means further reducing health care costs, including programs like Medicare and Medicaid, which are the single biggest contributor to our long-term deficit. The health insurance law we passed last year will slow these rising costs, which is part
of the reason that nonpartisan economists have said that repealing the health care law would add a quarter of a trillion dollars to our deficit.
Still, I'm willing to look at other ideas to bring down costs, including one that Republicans suggested last year--medical malpractice reform to rein in frivolous lawsuits.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: 2011 State of the Union speech
Joe Walsh on Entitlement Reform:
(Social Security Nov 1, 2010)
Gradually raising the retirement age beyond 67
Q: Would you raise the Social Security payroll tax on employers and employees? Would you raise the retirement age beyond 67? Would you change the benefit formula?A: I would not raise the Social Security payroll tax on employers or employees. However,
I would support gradually raising the retirement age beyond 67. With life expectancy continuing to increase, we have to ensure that entitlement programs are updated to reflect current realities of life expectancy.
Click for Joe Walsh on other issues.
Source: Chicago Tribune Editorial board questionnaires
Rand Paul on Entitlement Reform:
(Principles & Values Oct 3, 2010)
This election really is about the president's agenda
- I'm very concerned about the debt that we're piling on--mountains and mountains of debt.
- I'm concerned about Pres. Obama adding trillions of dollars of entitlement programs.
- I'm concerned about the president adding or allowing the largest
tax hike in our history.
- And I'm concerned about Pres. Obama foisting cap and trade on Kentucky which will be a disaster for our coal jobs.
I think this election really is about the president's agenda. Do you support the president's agenda or do
you not support it? I think his agenda's wrong for America. I will stand up against Pres. Obama's agenda. And I think that's what people in Kentucky want.Q: You say very little about Attorney General Conway on the campaign trail. Now's your chance.
PAUL: He needs to either defend his president or run away. So far he's running away from Pres. Obama and the agenda. He supports Obamacare. He supported repealing the tax cuts before he was against it. Cap and trade, he's been on both sides of the issue.
Click for Rand Paul on other issues.
Source: Fox News Sunday, 2010 Kentucky Senate debate
Rand Paul on Entitlement Reform:
(Social Security Oct 3, 2010)
Raise the retirement age for people under age 55
Q: If you want to get serious about the national debt, you have to do something about entitlements. Tell me of a single benefit you would reduce?PAUL: Well, you don't do anything to people who are currently receiving Medicare or Social Security.
But we do have to admit that we have the baby boom generation getting ready to retire. There will have to be changes for the younger generation.
Q: So you would raise the retirement age?
PAUL: For younger people, yes.
Q: So higher deductibles or higher premiums, for people 55 or younger?
PAUL: Yes. You're going to have to have eligibility changes for the younger people.
And I think all younger people, if they're honest and will admit to it and have an adult discussion and not demagogue the issue, will admit that younger people will have to have different rules.
Click for Rand Paul on other issues.
Source: Fox News Sunday, 2010 Kentucky Senate debate
Mike Pence on Entitlement Reform:
(Social Security Sep 26, 2010)
Reform Social Security to ensure its solvency
Q: What about entitlement spending? Are you going to raise the retirement age as Boehner suggested might be a good idea on Social Security?A: We'd keep our promises to seniors and near seniors, but for Americans under the age of 40, we absolutely
have to begin to reform Medicare and Social Security in ways that'll ensure its long-term fiscal solvency. But let me assure you, the Pledge to America Republican reform agenda] is not the end-all, be-all, it's meant to be a good start.
Click for Mike Pence on other issues.
Source: Meet the Press 2010 interview of Mike Pence
Mike Pence on Entitlement Reform:
(Social Security Aug 8, 2010)
Down-the-road raising of the Social Security retirement age
Top Republican leaders in the House offered a fairly strong signal on Sunday that they would favor a down-the-road raising of the Social Security retirement age as part of an effort to revamp the entitlement program. Later during the "Meet the Press"
program, Mike Pence was asked if he supported the idea. The Indiana Republican stammered around for a bit, echoing the same talking point concerning the need for "an adult conversation about domestic spending and entitlements."
Click for Mike Pence on other issues.
Source: Huffington Post, "Retirement Age": 2016 Veepstakes
Barack Obama on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Jan 29, 2010)
Medicare is major driver of our long-term liabilities
Pres. OBAMA: The major driver of our long-term liabilities, is Medicare and Medicaid and our health care spending. That's going to be what our children have to worry about. Now, [Rep. Paul Ryan's] approach--if I understand it correctly, would say we're
going to provide vouchers of some sort for current Medicare recipients at the current level.Rep. RYAN: No.
Pres. OBAMA: No?
Rep. RYAN: People 55 and above are grandfathered in.
Pres. OBAMA: But just for future beneficiaries, the basic idea would
be that at some point we hold Medicare cost per recipient constant as a way of making sure that that doesn't go way out of whack, right?
Rep. RYAN: We drew it as a blend of inflation and health inflation. Medicare is a $38 trillion unfunded liability--
it has to be reformed for younger generations because it's going bankrupt. And the premise of our idea is, why not give people the same kind of health care plan we here have in Congress?
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: Obama Q&A at 2010 House Republican retreat in Baltimore
Barack Obama on Entitlement Reform:
(Government Reform Jan 27, 2010)
Freeze discretionary government spending for 3 years
Families across the country are tightening their belts and making tough decisions. The federal government should do the same. So tonight, I'm proposing specific steps to pay for the trillion dollars that it took to rescue the economy last year.
Starting in 2011, we are prepared to freeze government spending for three years. Spending related to our national security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will not be affected. But all other discretionary government programs will.
Like any cash-strapped family, we will work within a budget to invest in what we need and sacrifice what we don't. And if I have to enforce this discipline by veto, I will.
We will continue to go through the budget, line by line, page by page, to eliminate programs that we can't afford and don't work. We've already identified $20 billion in savings for next year.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: 2010 State of the Union Address
Michael Bennet on Entitlement Reform:
(Social Security Jul 2, 2009)
Preserve the integrity of entitlement programs
We need to take a serious look at reforming our entitlement programs. Social Security is our most successful retirement program and it provides the only path to a secure retirement for millions of Americans. Similarly,
Medicare is the only way to get quality health care for many Americans. We must find a way to preserve the integrity of these programs while reducing the increasingly large impact they have on the overall federal budget.
Click for Michael Bennet on other issues.
Source: 2010 Senate campaign website, bennetforcolorado.com "Issues"
Barack Obama on Entitlement Reform:
(Social Security Oct 7, 2008)
Good health care and tax reform will save entitlements
Q: How should we fix Social Security and other entitlement programs?OBAMA: If we get our tax policies right so that they’re good for the middle class, if we reverse the policies of the last eight years that got us into this fix in the
first place and that Sen. McCain supported, then we are going to be in a position to deal with Social Security and deal with Medicare, because we will have a health care plan that actually works for you, reduces spending and costs over the long term, and
Social Security that is stable and solvent for all Americans and not just some.
McCAIN: What we have to do with Medicare is have the smartest people in
America come together, come up with recommendations, and then, like the base-closing commission idea we had, then we should have Congress vote up or down.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: 2008 second presidential debate against John McCain
Barack Obama on Entitlement Reform:
(Budget & Economy Sep 26, 2008)
Spending freeze is like a hatchet where you need a scalpel
Q: In the middle of a huge financial crisis that is yet to be resolved, how this is going to affect you not in small ways, but in major ways, and the approach you would take to the presidency.
McCAIN: How about a spending freeze on everything but Defense, Veterans Affairs and entitlement programs? We ought to seriously consider, with the exceptions of caring for our veterans, national defense and several other vital issues.
OBAMA: The problem with a spending freeze is you’re using a hatchet where you need a scalpel. There are some programs that are very important that are currently underfunded. I want to increase early childhood education.
We’re currently spending $10 billion a month in Iraq when they have a $79 billion surplus. It seems to me that if we’re going to be strong at home as well as strong abroad, that we’ve got to look at bringing that war to a close.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: 2008 first presidential debate, Obama vs. McCain
Jesse Ventura on Entitlement Reform:
(Government Reform Apr 1, 2008)
1996: Dole & Clinton conspired to limit presidential debates
In 1992, when Ross Perot scared the pants off the two parties by getting almost 20% of the vote, that entitled him to nearly $30 million of our tax dollars if he chose to run again in '96. Shouldn't that entitlement--and the fact that he received one out
of every 5 votes--also have automatically qualified Perot to take part in any '96 debates?Well, that wasn't allowed. That year, it was Bill Clinton running for reelection against Bob Dole. Dole did not want Perot in the debates, because he felt it
would erode his conservative base. Clinton did not want debates at all because he was so far ahead. So, the two of them made a backroom deal. They would eliminate Perot if Clinton was allowed to say how many debates there would be, and when. They took
this to the Federal Debate Commission and, of course, it was rubber-stamped. That's how we were denied seeing Perot take part in a spirited 3-person debate. That year, the only two debates were held--by design--at the same time as the World Series.
Click for Jesse Ventura on other issues.
Source: Don`t Start the Revolution, by Jesse Ventura, p.285-286
Jesse Ventura on Entitlement Reform:
(War & Peace Apr 1, 2008)
Iraq war drains resources from social programs
Prior to invading, Donald Rumsfeld said that Iraq's oil would pay for everything. So much for that big idea. The fact is, this war is not only draining America's resources, it's likely to eventually bankrupt us. And who is paying the biggest price?
When you realize that the new Bush budget also cuts $66 billion out of Medicare payments to the elderly over the next 5 years, and another $12 billion out of Medicaid for the poor, it's kind of a no-brainer. The NY Times recently noted that, for what
the war is costing, we could've instituted universal health care, provided nursery school education for every 3- and 4-year-old, and immunized kids around the world against numerous diseases--and still had half the money left over.
At the same time,
shortly before we turned over supposed control to the Iraqis, the US Federal Reserve sent over, on military aircraft, the biggest cash shipment it's ever made--more than $4 billion, amounting to 363 tons of dollars on these huge pallets.
Click for Jesse Ventura on other issues.
Source: Don`t Start the Revolution, by Jesse Ventura, p.263
Barack Obama on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Oct 30, 2007)
Tackle insurance companies on reimbursement system
We need to deal with the insurance companies. On Medicare and Medicaid, the reimbursement system is not working the way it should.
Instituting a universal health-care system that emphasizes prevention will free up dollars that potentially then can go to reimbursing doctors a little bit more.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: 2007 Democratic debate at Drexel University
Hillary Clinton on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Oct 30, 2007)
Insurance companies cannot deny people coverage
My proposal gives the insurance companies an ultimatum. They have to get into the business of actually providing insurance, instead of trying to avoid covering people. They cannot deny people coverage. They cannot have a pre-existing condition which is
not covered. That is one of the biggest problems that doctors face. They face this constant barrage of harassment and bureaucratization from the private insurance world. We need to clean up Medicare & Medicaid. They’re not as friendly as they need to be.
Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.
Source: 2007 Democratic debate at Drexel University
Mike Gravel on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Mar 24, 2007)
Phase out Medicare and Medicaid over time
Q: What is your plan for providing preventative and diagnostic services for health care for our seniors, people with disabilities and all Americans?A: One of the facets of my plan would be to keep in place Medicare and Medicaid and phase them out over
time. Because plans to put everybody on Medicare aren’t going to fly financially and just can’t be met. We are in deep economic difficulty and in debt. So when you talk about the seniors, this is where you have these health regional boards where in that
region they’ll be defining what goes into these various vouchers. And they’ll change every year depending upon your personal history as you get older. We know it costs less for young people and it costs more for old people. That’s just the nature of the
situation. So I don’t have any magic to take care of the seniors. All I can say is I can set up a structure that will have checks and balances where they’ll have a better say, they’ll have a better say than they have today.
Click for Mike Gravel on other issues.
Source: SEIU Democratic Health Care Forum in Las Vegas
Hillary Clinton on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Mar 24, 2007)
Require electronic medical record for all federal healthcare
I want to start requiring that people who do business with the government, namely Medicare, Medicaid, VA, you name it, they’re going to have to move toward electronic medical records. And I’m willing to put some up front money into that to create a
system where all these different health care IT systems can talk to each other, [so no matter where you are], you start with a history. After Hurricane Katrina I went down to Houston to see the people who had been evacuated, most in them from the
convention center. The elderly, the frail. People who were very dependent upon health care, their records were gone. Those 15 pieces of paper were destroyed. And a lot of doctors told me their biggest problem was trying to figure out what prescriptions
to give to people. The only people they could help were the people who had shopped at chain drug stores because they had electronic medical records. If we had that for all of our health records, we’d get costs down & we’d have higher quality health care.
Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.
Source: SEIU Democratic Health Care Forum in Las Vegas
Amy Klobuchar on Entitlement Reform:
(Immigration Oct 15, 2006)
Opposes Social Security for illegal immigrants
Q: You oppose Social Security for illegal immigrants?KLOBUCHAR: Yes, I do.
KENNEDY: If you look at the record, she said she would support the Senate immigration bill, that would give benefits to
12 million people that didn’t have benefits. $5 billion cost to Social Security. If you included Medicare and Medicaid, that’d be $50 billion.
Click for Amy Klobuchar on other issues.
Source: 2006 MN Senate debate, on Meet the Press
Hillary Clinton on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Oct 11, 2006)
FDA should compare drug effectiveness--not just safety
In 2003, President Bush and Congress upset their conservative base by creating the largest new entitlement program since the Johnson presidency.Hillary opposed the bill, on the grounds it was not comprehensive enough. She supported numerous amendments
that would have enlarged the program and further increased government involvement in the dispensation of prescription drugs.
One of her amendments sought to order the National Institutes of
Health to conduct and compile more drug studies, as well as to advise and inform patients and doctors about which drugs work best. The amendment was specifically aimed at increasing the government’s role in medicine. Clinton defended it by noting, “While
the FDA is responsible for determining safety and effectiveness of prescription drugs compared to a placebo, there is no government entity responsible for examining whether drug A is more effective at treating a particular condition than drug B.”
Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.
Source: Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy, by Amanda Carpenter, p. 75-76
Barack Obama on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Oct 1, 2006)
The market alone can’t solve our health-care woes
President Clinton took a stab at creating a system of universal coverage, but was stymied. Since then, public debate has been deadlocked.Given the money we spend on health care, we should be able to provide basic coverage to everyone. But we have to
contain costs, including Medicare and Medicaid.
The market alone cannot solve the problem--in part because the market has proven incapable of creating large enough insurance pools to keep costs to individuals affordable. Overall, 20% of all patients
account for 80% of the care, and if we can prevent disease or manage their effects, we can dramatically improve outcomes and save money.
With the money saved through increased preventive care and lower administrative and malpractice costs, we would
provide a subsidy to low-income families and immediately mandate coverage for all uninsured children.
There is no easy fix, but the point is that if we commit to making sure everyone has decent care, there are ways to do it.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p.183-185
Deval Patrick on Entitlement Reform:
(Health Care Sep 15, 2005)
Finance catastrophic health coverage
No one should have to choose between health care and bankruptcy. To relieve the anxiety for individuals and the burden on small businesses, the State will guarantee catastrophic coverage for everyone who is not already covered by Medicare or Medicaid.
By spreading these typically high costs over the largest possible pool of participants, and consolidating the many separate reserves now maintained for this care, per-person premiums will be reduced significantly for both employers and employees.
Click for Deval Patrick on other issues.
Source: Moving Massachusetts Forward, Patrick’s policy booklet, p.11
John Kasich on Entitlement Reform:
(Budget & Economy Nov 1, 1996)
Require balanced budget; block grant everything to states
Q: Do you support amending the US Constitution to require an annual balanced federal budget?A: Yes.
Q: Do you support the use of block grants given to states, rather than federal spending, in the following areas: Agriculture?
A: Yes.
Q:
Education?
A: Yes.
Q: Farm subsidies?
A: Yes.
Q: Food stamps?
A: Yes.
Q: Law enforcement?
A: Yes.
Q: Medicaid?
A: Yes.
Q: Medicare?
A: Yes.
Q: School lunches?
A: Yes.
Q: Welfare?
A: Yes.
Click for John Kasich on other issues.
Source: Congressional 1996 National Political Awareness Test
Page last updated: Mar 01, 2022
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