Representative Adam Smith
2209 Pacific Ave, Suite B
Tacoma, Washington 98402
Dear Representative Smith:
Enclosed find two resolutions passed by the 11th Legislative District Democrats protesting proposed cuts in Social Security Administration funding and elimination of Medicare in favor of vouchers.
In 2007, President Obama came out in favor of raising the FICA cap and against privatization of Social Security. In his speech on deficit reduction, he strongly opposed converting Medicare to a voucher program. We appreciate these positions very much. However, we wonder why he has not come out against raising the retirement age or raising the age of eligibility for Medicare. We also wonder why the White House issues page does not recommend raising the FICA cap or take a stand against raising eligibility ages. (And, no “we” are not living longer. More affluent people are living longer, but lower income women have decreased life expectancy after age 65, and lower income men have gained less than three quarters of a year.)
In the deficit speech, Obama also said “So here’s the truth. Around two-thirds of our budget is spent on Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and national security.” This is nonsense, as Medicare and Social Security are NOT part of the general budget. If they are, can someone explain to us why Social Security and Medicare withholding are listed separately from income tax withholding on our W-2 forms?
We strongly urge you to join the Defend Social Security Caucus, and we would very much like to discuss these issues with you when you are home on congressional breaks—please contact me to set up an appointment.
Sincerely,
Martha Koester
Chair, 11th Legislative District Democrats
