Rep. Michele Bachmann’s (R-MN) spokesman is strongly denying that she wants to end Social Security and Medicare, in the wake of comments by the Congresswoman that she wanted to “wean everybody off” those programs, and take their liabilities off the government’s balance sheet because “we can’t do it.”
“Rep. Bachmann does not want to end Social Security and Medicare. Absolutely not,” Bachmann spokesman Dave Dziok told the Star Tribune. “But the truth is, they need to be fixed in how they’re administered because under their current structure, they can’t be maintained without increasing the debt burden placed on future generations. Further, she stated clearly that people who are receiving these benefits now should continue to do so in their current form. We made a promise to them and we need to keep it.”
Dziok’s statement continued: “It’s only when she starts talking about real answers to these real problems do her critics stop listening. Going forward, Congress needs to address the lack of sustainability for America’s future seniors and give realistic options for younger Americans to invest and save for their future. Whether it’s a thrift savings plan like the one all government employees enjoy, personally owned accounts that are transferrable to your children or one of many other options, her ears and mind are open to a slew of different ideas. That’s a stark contrast to her opponents who would rather carry on with the same old talking points, ignoring the financially precarious position all of these programs are in and continue to borrow and borrow and pile on the debt.”
Thing is, this still doesn’t quite answer the full content of Bachmann’s original statement. Bachmann did indeed say she would honor the commitments of Social Security and Medicare for all current retirees. But she went further:
“So, what you have to do, is keep faith with the people that are already in the system, that don’t have any other options, we have to keep faith with them. But basically what we have to do is wean everybody else off,” said Bachmann. “And wean everybody off because we have to take those unfunded net liabilities off our bank sheet, we can’t do it. So we just have to be straight with people. So basically, whoever our nominee is, is going to have to have a Glenn Beck chalkboard and explain to everybody this is the way it is.”
Dziok’s statement seems to affirm Bachmann’s commitment to converting Social Security and Medicare into a set of personal accounts. The main sticking point here is just how stark Bachmann’s pronouncement was about weaning people off the system, and saying that the programs’ liabilities should be removed from the government’s balance sheet.
