Take cuts off table

Dear editor:

Last week, Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced an amendment in the Senate, the stated purpose of which was "To prevent the Senate from breaking Donald Trump's promise that there shall be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid." Specifically, the amendment states, "It shall not be in order in the Senate to consider" legislation that would result in a reduction in guaranteed Social Security benefits, increase the retirement age for receiving benefits, privatize Social Security, result in a reduction in guaranteed Medicare benefits, or result in the reduction or benefits or eligibility to receive medical assistance through a state Medicaid plan.

Sen. Sanders also submitted a list of the 13 times during the campaign that Mr. Trump promised there will be no cuts to these important programs. In addition to these promises, on Jan. 8, 2017: Reince Priebus, the incoming White House chief of staff, said on "Face the Nation:" "I don't think President-elect Trump wants to meddle with Medicare or Social Security. He made a promise during the campaign that that was something he didn't want to do."

So how did our senators vote on the amendment? The two U.S. senators from Arkansas, Tom Cotton and John Boozman, along with all of the other Republican senators (except Susan Collins) voted against the amendment. These programs are important to people all over the country, but they are especially important to Arkansans.

You may want to remind our senators that for most of us in Arkansas, Social Security accounts for a significant part of our retirement income and without it, many people would have little or no retirement income. Medicare provides access to care for seniors. Without it, relatively few seniors could afford medical care, and those receiving Medicaid assistance are already having serious difficulty making ends meet, even without the added burden of medical expenses.

It seems reasonable to ask senators to vote for an amendment that would take cuts to these programs off the table. It seems to me that if Sens. Cotton and Boozman were looking out for our interests, they would have voted for the amendment. I am calling them to let them know how disappointed I am in their vote. Here are their numbers in case you want to call them too -- Sen. Tom Cotton, 202-224-2353; Sen. John Boozman, 202-224-4843.

Michael Young

Hot Springs

Editorial on 01/18/2017

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