Oh, by the way: Biden, Hoyer, Clyburn all open to raising Social Security retirement age
posted at 9:42 pm on June 30, 2010 by Allahpundit
A fun follow-up to yesterday’s Democratic heart-ache about Boehner wanting to raise the retirement age to 70. Hoyer and Clyburn are on record about this recently but the Biden stuff comes from the 2007 presidential primary. Do you suppose he’s come around to The One’s position about the retirement age being sacrosanct? Or is he just crazy enough to stick to his guns and singlehandedly destroy their talking point against Boehner by insisting even now that the retirement age should be on the table?
Note to Jake Tapper or any other reporter who reads this site: Ask him.
Boehner’s office passes along a series of clips that show senior Dems supported lifting the retirement age too.
Those senior Dems include VP Joe Biden, who told the AP in ’07 he was open to discussions about raising the cap.
House Maj. Whip James Clyburn’s official website says raising the age can keep Social Security solvent. “With minor changes to the program such as raising the salary cap and raising the retirement age by one month every year, the program could become solvent for the next 75 years,” Clyburn’s website says.
Just last week, House Maj. Leader Steny Hoyer told an audience at an event for Third Way, the centrist think tank, “we could and should consider a higher retirement age.”
Actually, The One once told “Meet the Press” (again, back in 2007) that while raising the retirement age is “not the best option,” he’d listen to all arguments in the interest of restoring long-term solvency to the program. Why the left thinks he wouldn’t be willing to deal with a Republican Congress on that point is beyond me; as he’s shown repeatedly, first and foremost during ObamaCare, he’s happy to compromise on progressive sacred cows like the public option in order to get something passed. There’s already talk from unlikely quarters about investing a chunk of the Social Security trust fund in the stock market. Why would the retirement age be off limits if that isn’t?
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they want off the train before it wrecks.
Gee, remember when it was affordable to purchase private health insurance coverage without any help from anyone?
Aides on average, make $60K annually, and some earn up to $170K (as of 2010 figures). And those lowly aides have to endure 16 weeks of recess this year.
Here’s a quote from one of the poor dears.
“there is that beautiful thing called recess: One week a month, when Congress is not in session, you pretty much just come into the office and do nothing. During March recess, I would come in, watch the NCAA game, go to lunch, maybe have a drink or two, then come back only because I had to answer the phone. It was the same for the lawyers-only they got to leave because they had cell phones. The staff director would be gone, playing golf.” And in August, Dawn says, “you get just about the entire month off.”
And let’s not forget the perks that come with the job that augment the overall compensation. Many aides and other staffers receive generous year-end bonuses and the connections that aides make- the reason many of them clamor for these positions- can be invaluable.
And if you think Congressional staffers don’t gain from stock trades based on, ahem…non-public info…think again.
How will these poor aides ever manage? Is that the best line these crooked lawmakers can come up with? My 13 year old nephew can BS better than this.
lynncgb on April 25, 2013 at 10:40 AM
Easy solution there, cut them back to thirty hours.
slickwillie2001 on April 25, 2013 at 10:40 AM
Well as least Boehner is putting a show about repeal, let’s hope he doesn’t turn around and change his mind in a backroom meeting.
Ukiah on April 25, 2013 at 10:49 AM
Can’t do it. Equal protection clause. Roberts made it a tax. All citizens are taxed equally. I’m waiting for the first lawsuit to be filed on this already. I’m sure as soon as Joe Blow has to pay a fine yet his buddy- a union member or an employee of one of the hundreds of companies exempted- does not, it is a lawsuit.
It isn’t even close when it comes to a public official who voted FOR the ACA exempting himself. The question will be if the SP fails to act, will that mean the end of the rule of law in America?
Congress should be nervous, like their seventeenth century predecessors in France were.
Just saying….
archer52 on April 25, 2013 at 10:51 AM
One can only hope Barry doesn’t invite him out for a round of golf and offer him a deal he can’t refuse.
hawkeye54 on April 25, 2013 at 10:52 AM
So many things being done at the same time – gun control, amnesty, internet taxation, Congressional exemption from the law.
Seems they had to stuff it all in fast before the next election. The public can be so hurtful
Was not Monica Lewinsky a low level aide? Get some empathy
entagor on April 25, 2013 at 10:52 AM
Monica did not work on the Hill.
She worked on Bill.
coldwarrior on April 25, 2013 at 10:54 AM
Get a job!
blammm on April 25, 2013 at 10:55 AM
Guess they’ll have to go part time. Maybe they can get a shift at McDonald’s to make up the difference.
I honestly think this bill is going to be repealed.
PattyJ on April 25, 2013 at 10:59 AM
Gotta love Congress. They are so concerned for our welfare, that they have developed a health care plan that is too good for them. Why else would they try to exempt themselves? And they wonder why their approval rating is so low.
415woman1 on April 25, 2013 at 11:00 AM
Don’t be silly, it’s only a tax when convenient.
The end of the rule of law? Sorry, that ship has already sailed. Obama enforcing the DREAM act even though it was never passed is only the latest obvious example.
One may hope. However there are severe differences. The French peasants were destitute and starving; The US peasants are given free food and other free stuff. It is only the productive who will pay. Things will get much worse before they might get better.
Fenris on April 25, 2013 at 11:14 AM
You don’t have to repeal ObamaCare. Just amend it with one little sentence saying any citizen may immediately opt out of ObamaCare with impunity.
Fenris on April 25, 2013 at 11:17 AM
Won’t happen. Getting your “brain drained” is a required condition of employment up there.
BD57 on April 25, 2013 at 11:24 AM
Good words. And I’m going to remember them if a single GOPer in either chamber votes for this abomination.
Yes, I realize it’s unfair to Boehner to lump him in with a Senate “Gang”, but life’s tough all over.
Chris of Rights on April 25, 2013 at 11:26 AM
You know, I’m getting pretty Damn tired of politicians
slamming legislation, bills, etc.
BUT NEVER DOING A DAMN THING TO CORRECT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ToddPA on April 25, 2013 at 11:36 AM
Hate to quibble, but the 17th century French set up the 18th century for the “disagreements” that poor Marie suffered.
And, productive or not, our “ruling class” looks on all of us as “peasants.”
Hope it doesn’t take 100 years for us peasants to make our point.
questionmark on April 25, 2013 at 11:38 AM
MissTwiLies Run & Hide CYA
(Misleading, Twists and Lies)
Try them in the Court of Public Opinion.
Charges: Malfeasance and Sedition with intend to undermine the United States Democracy of “We The People”
Specification 1: Passed a law with out reading or understanding the consequence of the law in that they passed the Affordable Health Care Act.
Specification 2: Passed a law before it had been written in that the passed the Affordable Health Care Act.
Specification 3: Exempt themselves from the requirements of the Affordable Health Care Act.
Specification 4: Exempt themselves from full investment disclosure allowing them to non disclose insider trading only for members of Congress.
Specification 5: Interference with Congressional investigations in to Fast and Furious.
Specification 6: Interference with Congressional Investigations into Benghazi.
Specification 7: Authorization and use of public funds for Reelections.
Specification 8: Exempt themselves from Sequestering budget requirements.
Specification 9: Use of Party Policy as a substitute for the Good of the Public interest.
Specification 10: Intentional in a planed an forethought manner foster Misleading, Twists and Lies upon “We The People” solely for the purpose of personal gain.
Specification 11: Other yet to be Specified offensive against “We The People”.
WHERE IS JUDGE Andrew P. Napolitano when this country needs him the most.
jpcpt03 on April 25, 2013 at 11:39 AM
You’re right, I missed the 17th vs. 18th century thing. It could very well take 100 years, or more. Can’t predict the future, but USSR-style Communism is definitely one possible scenario for USA’s future.
Fenris on April 25, 2013 at 11:42 AM
Too late, they already have proven that they are hypocrites.
sadatoni on April 25, 2013 at 11:50 AM
I’m shocked, SHOCKED that royalty would consider themselves above the mere commoners. Us poor serfs are lucky to bask in their presence. They truly know best and we should be grateful to have their enlightened wisdom.
There’s a reason they never pay for anything. Perks. It’s what’s for dinner.
njrob on April 25, 2013 at 11:59 AM
Time for them to eat their own dogfood. I hope Johnny B has recently grown a pair.
iurockhead on April 25, 2013 at 12:15 PM
Libs/proggies: no can do… how about Judge Janet Napolitano instead?
Marcola on April 25, 2013 at 12:17 PM
That would have amazing results. Half the country would vote themselves Obamacare-Medicaid. The other half would be free. The deadbeats and expensive cases would all go to Obamacare-Medicaid, and private insurance would become affordable.
The serfs would all have dossiers in Washington. The free people would not have their private information available to the federal government. You would still be marked as a dissenter, but they couldn’t have feds on the lookout for a type AB, with a hernia, in need of a battery for their insulin pump, who also owns guns and is flagged for ‘anxiety’ in your national health file, and your national health card would not popup a ‘HOLD and RESTRAIN” at the ER counter
The government would only own half the populace
entagor on April 25, 2013 at 12:23 PM
Why would Congress and their staff need to go into the Obamacare exchanges at all? I thought the exchanges were only for people who didn’t have health insurance provided by their employers. And since members of Congress and their staff work for the Federal government, I thought that the government would provide health insurance for them like it has for many years. Which part of my understanding was incorrect?
J.S.K. on April 25, 2013 at 12:28 PM
Perhaps Mr. Boehner would like to make a statement on the amnesty legislation as well.
Mr. Arrogant on April 25, 2013 at 12:31 PM
This whole pile of legislation needs to be broken. And it needs to be so politically painful to the democrats that they remember this moment for a generation at least. It needs to reverberate in this warped history as a political killing field. Enough such that they make no further attempts for a very long time to come.
Karmashock on April 25, 2013 at 12:32 PM
The Founders would be totally disgusted by this sort of thing and even more so by people tolerating it.
There is no way this is all going to be resolved peacefully.
justltl on April 25, 2013 at 12:35 PM
Considering Squishy’s history, it isn’t completely unfair to lump him in with them.
hawkeye54 on April 25, 2013 at 12:45 PM
when they wrote the legislation, they were careful to put themselves (congress and staff) into the exchanges because they were going to be so gosh-darn awesome, and so they could use the line “everyone in the country have access to the same insurance plans as congress”. Now, they are realizing that the exchanges will not have the same insurance plans as congress (keep your plan? Ha!). They do not want to have to use the exchanges anymore since it’s a bad deal and they don’t need the sales pitch anymore. A$$wipes.
alwaysfiredup on April 25, 2013 at 12:59 PM
Excellent!
The founders should have assured that NO law gets applied to the people who sustain the fools in DC, or elsewhere…the ones who make the laws.
May all who exempt themselves spontaneously combust, you charlatans of all charlatans.
Schadenfreude on April 25, 2013 at 1:12 PM
Schadenfreude on April 25, 2013 at 1:13 PM
Bourbon…
France…
1796…
(some assembly required)
Seven Percent Solution on April 25, 2013 at 1:14 PM
Jackie, maybe they read our dialogue last night :)
Schadenfreude on April 25, 2013 at 1:14 PM
God damn them all.
Schadenfreude on April 25, 2013 at 1:16 PM
Wouldn’t that be marvelous. Schadenfreude? If they could and would read… and care about… what the American citizenry thinks? :)
thatsafactjack on April 25, 2013 at 1:18 PM
This is NOT ‘getting boring already’ as Klein asserts. He’s trying desperately to do damage control. Those tweets from Boehner would not have been made had this simply been a ‘technical error’ being addressed, as Klein asserts.
Further, Ed Morrissey wouldn’t have responded in the way he did if this was just some attempt to resolve a ‘glitch’. Obamacare is a harmful and shameful law. IF enacted it won’t simply cost people more money… it will cost many unnecessary pain, suffering, disability, and even death.
Obamacare must be repealed… for the sake of the American people.
thatsafactjack on April 25, 2013 at 1:24 PM
When you couple $2.00 soups in the Capitol cafeterias and Obamacare, I can see where staffers would have a hard time making ends meet.
Undue burden.
BobMbx on April 25, 2013 at 1:24 PM
Thanks, I see that you are correct. I hadn’t heard about that before.
J.S.K. on April 25, 2013 at 1:29 PM
Boehner has it correct, now if his stance lasts out the week, we’ll have to see.
RJL on April 25, 2013 at 1:39 PM
These recent college grads can stay on their parents’ insurance until 26. Problem solved!
byepartisan on April 25, 2013 at 1:45 PM
Okay, someone correct me if I don’t have this right.
I think there is also some confusion about the provision (requiring lawmakers and staffers to join the exchanges) as to whether members and aides set to enter the exchanges would have their health insurance premiums subsidized by their employer — the federal government. So, it sounds like, what’s being proposed here is possibly undoing this provision in the law.
Basically, Obamacare is still proving to be so poorly written, that Congress and the actual staffers who wrote it, may have screwed themselves by accident.
It remains to be seen.
lynncgb on April 25, 2013 at 1:52 PM
So Congress rammed this SOBamaCare down our throats! Now its time to shove it up your collective arse! Eat your own Dog food!
stuartm80127 on April 25, 2013 at 2:23 PM
Hmmm. I’m thinkin’ you mean Disassembly. In this case.
hawkeye54 on April 25, 2013 at 2:36 PM
It’d be even better that they stay on in their parents house until they turn 50 and remain dependents. Then all is good.
hawkeye54 on April 25, 2013 at 2:39 PM
So says the Spelunker of the House who passed Continuing Resolution after CR after CR fully funding obamacare…
Gohawgs on April 25, 2013 at 2:50 PM
Any thoughts on how to do that? Sincerely. I think you are right but I can’t figure a way to get it done.
ChrisL on April 25, 2013 at 3:10 PM
ChrisL
Take them to task in the “Court of Public Opinion”.
jpcpt03 on April 25, 2013 at 4:32 PM
And most recently hustled a bill through the House to provide more funding to a failing ObamaCare program.
BobMbx on April 25, 2013 at 5:42 PM
I’m going to invest in futures on tar, feathers, and rails.
Another Drew on April 25, 2013 at 6:38 PM
You silly little rabbits under 65. This is the math of obamacare. You work all your life 20-30-40 years contributing in part for your life time health care. Then comes the realities of age 65. You MUST and WILL transfer to Government healthcare. Now at a cost to you for me is $2,400.00 a year plus co-pay. Next year 2014 it is projected to go up to $5,000.00 per year plus co-pay. All for what use to be free because of my 40 years of service. The money I put into the company plan for 40 years? The Company gets to keep it for free. If I object and elect to stay with my former employer’s plan. Yes I can do that it will cost me my entire social security check, not for one month, not for one year BUT for the rest of my entire life. Most likely over $700,000.00. I do not need this government to help me any more just stay away. Everyone out there is facing the same realities. Unless you are a Congressman who exempts themselves from their own laws. Don’t let these unwed offspring get away with this any longer. It is to late for me but not for thee.
jpcpt03 on April 25, 2013 at 8:35 PM
Strong words there Bohner.
Now back em up with deeds and I’ll show you less contempt.
Chaz706 on April 25, 2013 at 8:55 PM
I stand corrected…
… Thanks!
Seven Percent Solution on April 25, 2013 at 10:31 PM
Mr. Ambinder, it depends on which side of the tax aisle you’re on.
If you’re on the average citizen side, reading the “political and moral misjudgement”, hypocrisy is all you see.
And it’s enough
itsspideyman on April 26, 2013 at 1:51 AM
Nice to see them squirm over this. Boehner needs to deliver though.
We don’t need to repeal it, just defer it until we have the spare cash.
virgo on April 26, 2013 at 2:44 AM
I’ve been asking myself the same question. I am ready for it. Armed and ready.
RandallinHerndon on April 26, 2013 at 10:04 AM
Until Barry and Mooochelle invite him over for movie night. They’ll watch a chick-flick and Boner will end up bawling his eyes out.
RandallinHerndon on April 26, 2013 at 10:31 AM
You have turned over your children to the mindless, Godless establishment for reeducation of the unwavering acceptance of authority.
jpcpt03 on April 27, 2013 at 12:08 PM
We’ve seen what happened to poor brown militias resisting with small arms and IED’s. They were steamrolled in open combat. The only reason they survive at all to make mischief is because of unbelievable American weakness to do what must be done.
MelonCollie on April 29, 2013 at 9:17 AM
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