{"id":589447,"date":"2023-09-01T21:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-01T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/a-potential-government-shutdown-would-have-real-consequences-for-seniors\/"},"modified":"2023-09-01T21:30:00","modified_gmt":"2023-09-01T18:30:00","slug":"a-potential-government-shutdown-would-have-real-consequences-for-seniors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-potential-government-shutdown-would-have-real-consequences-for-seniors\/","title":{"rendered":"#A potential government shutdown would have real consequences for seniors"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/GettyImages-1479436990.jpg?w=900\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The MAGA faction of the House Republican Conference is once again threatening to disrupt the basic functioning of government to push an unpopular agenda. Last spring, they brought the nation to the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/msnbc.com\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/threat-gop-imposed-default-reaches-new-level-deadline-nears-rcna82385\">brink of default<\/a>. Now, the House Freedom Caucus is refusing to keep the government from shutting down in September unless a set of\u202f<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/2023\/08\/kevin-mccarthy-freedom-caucus-looming-government-shutdown\">extreme demands<\/a> are met. In both cases, they have displayed a callous disregard for the effect of these machinations on everyday Americans who depend on the smooth operation of government \u2014 including, and especially, our nation\u2019s seniors. \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While the possibility of a government shutdown does not pose as serious a threat to <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social<\/a> Security and Medicare as the averted <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncpssm.org\/entitledtoknow\/default-could-be-devastating-to-seniors-on-fixed-incomes\/\">federal default<\/a> would have, it is of serious concern to seniors and their advocates. Most Social Security payments likely would continue to go out because the process is largely automated. But, depending on how long a shutdown might last, customer service for Social Security claimants and beneficiaries could be significantly disrupted. \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr1_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Customer service at the beleaguered Social Security Administration (SSA) is already suffering from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncpssm.org\/entitledtoknow\/ssa-woefully-underfunded-struggling-to-provide-customer-service-witnesses-tell-congress\/\">chronic underfunding<\/a> by Congress. In the event of a shutdown,\u202fSSA employees would be forced to continue working (without being paid until the shutdown ended) and they\u2019d be limited to performing only their most basic work functions.\u202fNon-automated and non-exempted\u202fSSA operations\u202fwould come to a screeching halt. Current work backlogs would begin to grow again. If that h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ens, seniors hoping to submit new Social Security claims, replace Social Security cards, or report a change in status may experience delays until the shutdown ends.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re worried that \u2014 after more than a decade of Tea Party-initiated budget cuts \u2014 the negative impacts on SSA and its customers will not end once the government has resumed operations.\u202fThe current appropriations levels being considered for the new fiscal year\u202fwill leave SSA\u202funable to even\u202f\u201ctread water\u201d in terms of customer service. In recent years, claimants have <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbpp.org\/blog\/after-years-of-budget-cuts-increased-funding-would-help-social-security-administration-restore\">experienced<\/a> field office closures, interminable wait times on hold on the SSA\u2019s 800-phone line, and delays of more than a year for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) appeals hearings. In 2017, Over\u202f<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/sf\/local\/2017\/11\/20\/10000-people-died-waiting-for-a-disability-decision-in-the-past-year-will-he-be-next\/\">10,000 people died<\/a>\u202fawaiting adjudication of their SSDI claims. The trend of Congress\u2019 underfunding this agency looks to continue \u2014 and service will continue to deteriorate. \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Again, the level of harm to seniors from a government shutdown really depends on how long it lasts. The deeper problem is the willingness of MAGA Republicans to hold the federal government hostage to their unreasonable demands \u2014 for the second time in a year. They risked a federal default last spring in order to extort deep cuts in domestic spending that the majority of Americans do not support. \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In June, the White House and Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) were able to reach a last-minute deal to lift the debt limit and avert a default. But the deal effectively keeps\u202f<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Fwhats-in-2023-debt-ceiling-deal-bill-to-avoid-default%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7CGottliebw%40NCPSSM.org%7C1b2d97411e3c41ea423308dba988708d%7C23387965930541e0a7105455ce34a965%7C0%7C0%7C638290175686603571%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=xLHzpH7U7EfJyEHGCNFaQ6GJAoXzRVm48xEp%2F4KD3Qk%3D&amp;reserved=0\">non-defense spending flat<\/a>, with funding for FY 2024 failing to keep up with inflation.\u202fUnfortunately, many House Republicans are ignoring\u202feven\u202fthat\u202fmiserly\u202fdeal.\u202fThe GOP-controlled House appropriations committees are <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbpp.org\/research\/federal-budget\/partisan-house-appropriations-bills-underfund-non-defense-priorities-and\">marking up<\/a> spending bills at\u202fFY 2022 levels, which\u202fis\u202fconsiderably lower than in the debt limit agreement.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>MAGA Republicans in the House do not seem to care what impact a shutdown would have on everyday Americans.\u202fIn fact, many MAGA House members seem to relish the prospect of throwing sand in the gears of the federal government. The Freedom Caucus refuses to vote to keep the government open unless their egregious <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2023\/08\/22\/chance-government-shutdown-grows\/\">demands<\/a> are met, demands which are publicly unpopular. These include new laws to address the supposed \u201cweaponization\u201d of government and the revocation of\u202fso-called\u202f\u201cwoke\u201d policies at the Pentagon.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>These issues are not only bogus; they have little to do with serious spending policy. One former GOP Senate aide told The Hill that the Freedom Caucus demands are \u201cfundamentally ridiculous.\u201d And yet their agenda to shut down the government can have real consequences for real people, including society\u2019s most vulnerable. \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr2_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>What\u2019s more, many of these same MAGA Republicans have proposed to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/democrats.org\/news\/maga-house-republicans-take-aim-at-social-security-and-medicare\/\">cut and privatize<\/a> Social Security \u2014 if not for today\u2019s seniors than for their kids and grandchildren. The 2023 House <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/crr.bc.edu\/congressional-republicans-want-big-cuts-to-social-security\/\">Republican Study Committee<\/a> budget blueprint called for raising the retirement age to 69 (despite the fact that many older Americans <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/business\/story\/2023-02-02\/the-stupid-and-dishonest-idea-of-raising-the-social-security-retirement-age-is-back\">simply cannot work that long<\/a>); adopting a miserly COLA formula; and means testing benefits, which would cut deep into the heart of the middle class. \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>So-called \u201cfiscal hawks,\u201d who have no problem making the Trump\/GOP tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations permanent, continue to conflate Social Security with the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/2024-presidential-election-republicans-entitlement-reforms-ron-desantis-donald-trump-joe-biden\/\">debt<\/a>. The program is self-funded by workers\u2019 payroll contributions and does not contribute to the debt. Even <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ihUoRD4pYzI\">Ronald Reagan<\/a> said, \u201cSocial Security has nothing to do with the deficit.\u201d \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As seniors\u2019 advocates, we do not believe that older Americans should be shortchanged in the federal budget process. At the end of the day, government spending is a moral issue \u2014 revealing society\u2019s priorities.\u202f After a lifetime of contributing to this county in innumerable ways \u2014 and with the cost of growing old escalating every year \u2014 our seniors deserve to be a priority. And they shouldn\u2019t have to worry about their earned benefits because MAGA House members once again are willing the hold the government hostage to their extremist aims. \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr3_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>On Thursday, The White House <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/business\/2023\/08\/31\/white-house-congressional-spending-government-shutdown\/\">urged<\/a> Congress to adopt a short-term measure to fund the federal government, allowing more time to craft a spending deal and avert a shutdown. Congress should heed the president\u2019s request.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>Max Richtman is president and CEO of the nonprofit National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. He is former staff director of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging.\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/opinion\/congress-blog\/4183184-a-potential-government-shutdown-would-have-real-consequences-for-seniors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The MAGA faction of the House Republican Conference is once again threatening to disrupt the basic functioning of government to push an unpopular agenda. Last spring, they brought the nation to the brink of default. Now, the House Freedom Caucus is refusing to keep the government from shutting down in September unless a set of\u202fextreme&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":589448,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/GettyImages-1479436990.jpg?w=1280","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[134344,134343,134418,134353,10574,73811,73014,23261,145471,71694,139794,134345],"class_list":["post-589447","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-administration","tag-campaign","tag-congress-blog","tag-court-battles","tag-education","tag-government-shutdown","tag-health-care","tag-lgbtq","tag-maga-republicans","tag-social-security","tag-spending-cuts","tag-state-watch"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/589447","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=589447"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/589447\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/589448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=589447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=589447"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=589447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}