So long as the House is involved in the budget process, they still have leverage.
My only assertion is that they should be using it there, before the money is actually spent, and not when the bill comes due.
They’re playing us for suckers, pretending that they’re for fiscal responsibility now after voting for all the waste back then. Don’t fall for it. Don’t let them get away with it.
The money has been spent because these programs are on automatic pilot and represent an unfunded liability of $100 trillion. Unless they are reformed, we will continue to run huge deficits.
For example, the premiums paid for Medicare Parts B and D cover only 25% of the costs--by law. The remaining 75% comes from the General Fund. If you look at the 2013 Trustees Report you will see that $214.8 billion came out of the General Fund. These costs will continue to climb as 10,000 baby boomers retire every day for the next 20 years. Congress doesn't even vote on these expenditures in the annual budget. They are baked into the cake.
They’re playing us for suckers, pretending that they’re for fiscal responsibility now after voting for all the waste back then. Don’t fall for it. Don’t let them get away with it.
You are hopeless. You just don't get it. We will just agree to disagree about your characterization of what is happening and what needs to be done. You haven't even posed any recommendations as to what needs to be cut and by how much. You are just spewing slogans and generalizations. In any event, there is no need to continue this one way dialogue.