Russ responds to cuts Medicare and Social s

Responding to your message
Thursday, July 21, 2011 8:32 AM


July 21, 2011





Dear Mr. R:



Thank you for contacting me to share your concerns about potential cuts to Medicare and Social Security as part of a larger deficit reduction agreement. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.



Please know that I am committed to protecting Social Security and Medicare. These critical programs form the foundation for the retirements of millions of seniors. Social Security and Medicare are two of America's most successful and efficient government programs, and I will continue to fight to preserve these hard-won institutions.



The United States has had a statutory debt limit since 1917, and Congress has raised the debt limit several times since then, including ten times since 2001. Raising this limit is often a necessary step to ensure that America pays its bills and takes responsibility for its commitments.



Virtually all financial experts have made it clear that a failure to avoid a default crisis would create massive disruptions to the economy and risk economic catastrophe. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner has reported that we will reach the debt limit in early August. Discussions about avoiding the default crisis are now being tied to larger deficit and budget reduction talks. In order to craft a long-term debt solution, the President and Congressional leaders are discussing many possible means of lowering our national debt and ensuring that we put America on a sustainable path forward.



Reducing the deficit and debt are important objectives that we should work towards over time. Cuts to valuable programs will be necessary as part of the national commitment needed to reduce the deficit, but we must target reductions on duplicative and wasteful programs while preserving essential investments that create jobs and lay the foundation for a more prosperous economy and not harming our fragile recovery.



If a compromise means that we must make changes to valuable programs, we must also eliminate tax breaks for wealthy individuals and corporations. Everyone must pay their share and we cannot balance the budget on the backs of seniors and the middle class.



Please be assured that I will keep your views in mind as Congress debates the budget and efforts to reduce the deficit.



I always appreciate hearing the views of constituents about issues facing Congress. Please feel free to contact my office if I can be of further assistance to you on this or any other matter of concern. I also hope you will find my website, carnahan.house.gov, a useful resource for keeping up with my work in Washington and the St. Louis region, and I welcome you to sign up for my e-newsletter at carnahan.house.gov/updates.

Sincerely,

Russ Carnahan