Mike Johnson, in his letter last month, contends that “the interests of an old, white male” are “of little concern to the Democrats” (“Neither party meets public’s needs,” Our Readers’ Views, May 12). I’d like to respectfully make the case why this isn’t so.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham recently advocated for cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and for limiting who’d qualify for these programs. Another Republican, Rick Scott, specified in his “11 Point Plan” that “All federal legislation sunsets in five years.”
As Joe Biden pointed out, this means that “every five years” these programs are “on the chopping block” if Republicans take power and don’t reauthorize them. Are seniors OK with knowing that their financial futures would be left to the tender mercies of the Republican Party?
Democrats have a better plan, increasing benefits by $2,400 per year and paying for this by subjecting all income above $250,000 to the Social Security payroll tax, thus fully funding the program through 2096.
As an old, white guy myself, I know it’s not only about me and my cohort, but all of us. Having said that, this issue is a perfect example of the difference between the two parties.
