Brady: no cuts in Soc. Security, Medicare; raise taxes on jet fuel
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Brady: no cuts in Soc. Security, Medicare; raise taxes on jet fuel
The election is over, and the gears of government are slowly creaking back into motion, beginning with lawmakers staking out positions on the fiscal negotiations that will dominate the next few months, and perhaps longer.
So today, as Washington girds for a debate on the size and scope of government and how to pay for it, Philly U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, the city’s Democratic chairman, planted his flag on the left, declaring that he would not accept any cuts to Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security. Tuesday’s election results, he said, show that the public is with him.
“I don’t know what other message we could send them other than what we sent them on Tuesday … do not mess with our Social Security, do not mess with Medicare, do not mess with Medicaid,” Brady said, standing with about 50 union members outside Social Security Administration offices on Spring Garden Street.
For people who depend on Social Security, “their bills aren’t fixed, the grocery store’s not fixed, they all go up and up and up.” Around him, union members cheered.
The wealthy might support Medicaid cuts, because “they’re never going to use it because they got all the money, but we sent a message to all the money, didn’t we?” Brady said, wearing a blue House of Representatives wind breaker and gray Nike work out pants.
(As an aside, I’m new to the beat but felt like Brady summed himself up in a Philadelphia-style nutshell today when he told his union friends, “I don’t forget where I come from – you want to know why? Because I like where I come from. I don’t like them suits and ties and looking pretty.”)
Brady’s stand illustrates just how hard it might be for leaders in Washington to work out a deal that addresses the nation’s deficit and can get through the Democratically-controlled Senate and Republican-led House.
Democrats don’t want a reduction in benefits but want to raise taxes on upper incomes. President Obama campaigned on that idea, and voters gave him another four years, they point out.
Republicans want to lower tax rates and cut programs like Social Security and Medicare. They point out that voters left them in control of the House.
House Speaker John Boehner on Wednesday opened the door to increases in tax revenue through closing loopholes, a small initial step on the long road to compromise. But there are many staunch conservatives who are sure to oppose any increase in tax revenues. Brady could be seen as the opposite – a stalwart Democrat who will adhere to the party’s long-standing tradition of guarding Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
The most fertile grounds for compromise seems to be a deal that includes some increase in tax revenue (where Republicans would have to give ground) and some reductions in Democrats’ cherished program (where they would give ground). But making that work depends on being able to corral the far ends of each party so that there are enough votes to make it happen.
Brady has typically been a loyal soldier, so if Democratic leaders do cut a deal, maybe he softens his stance and goes along with his party’s direction. But Thursday, before negotiations have gotten too deep, he was drawing a bright line.
Pressed on if he’d accept safety net cuts in exchange for upper income tax increases, he said no.
“I’ve got to see what the reductions are. I won’t be for reductions in Medicare, I won’t be for reductions in Medicaid, I won’t be for reductions on Social Security and I don’t know anybody that will be,” he said.
Instead, he said, make executives pay “a little more than their secretaries,” Brady said, and if that doesn’t do it, tax the fuel they use for their private jets.
wow tax on jet fuel. that will fix the budget. why did we think of that sooner.— rysagr- I have to admit. Having been in the private sector for over 20 years working for different size companies and getting a chance to travel I have never actually seen a real live secretary.
I've seen them on TV, and it sounds like all the politicians have them, but those of use who work for a living they are a bit like the Loch Ness Monster.— barlowjames1 
Brady has to be one of the dumbest pol out there. Tell me again why this a-hole keeps getting reelected?- he satisfies the only two qualifying criteria in the city of philadelphia: #1 he's dumb; #2 he's a democrat (although truth be told they are one and the same)
— hannibal barca - This guy is an empty track suit. His bio on the Congressional website says it all. He has never had an orignal thought in his life. He is the uncle that we all have who shows up at summer barbeques with a bad sunburn and blabbers all afternoon about how his boss treats him unfairly. No one pays him any attention and he stumbles home.— Jay28
- I don't know what kind of companies barlowjames works for but there are plenty of secretaries working at the international corporation that I work for.
Why does Brady keep getting elected? Because he's a Democrat and the majority of americans support the Democrat's policies. Obama and the Democrats crushed the Republicans. Obama won Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks and Delaware Counties. The suburban counties used to be Republican until the far right wing radicals took control. In Montgomery County, Obama won by a big margin and so did moderate Republican state senator Mike Vereb. Both Republicans and Democrats voted for Republican Vereb. He took 65% of the vote.— MikeP - "Obama and the Democrats crushed the Republicans. Obama won Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks and Delaware Counties. The suburban counties used to be Republican until the far right wing radicals took control"
then explain to me how pat meehan, jim gerlach and mike fitzpatrick, all from the philadelphia suburbs, destroyed their democrat opponents?— hannibal barca - I already did explain it but you're too stupid to understand that. Pat Meehan, Jim Gerlach and Mike Fitzpatrick are moderate Republicans. Nominate some Tea Party candidates and see what the results are. See what happens to Tom Corbett when he's up for reelection.
— MikeP - I guess you can say the majority of Americans support Democrat policies with a 50%-49% split. But you look like a fool saying it. Basically half the U.S. wanted Obama out. That ain't a mandate. It's more of an indictment on the Republican inability to nominate a winner. Same as the Bush-Gore election result. The alternative to a suboptimal choice was not good enough. — Bob1
- A 329 to 202 electoral college win is a landslide. It's an overwhelming mandate for President Obama's policies. The presedential election is not based on the popular vote or Democrats would have won 5 out of the last 6 elections. If the presedential election was based on the popular vote, the Obama campaign would have used different tactics and the margin would have been just as wide. — MikeP
- Those 16 Trillion in Debts weren't run up because of Medicare, Social Security or Medicaid. Portions of that $16 Trillion is public debt owed to the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds, those were the surpluses that were used to pay for the Bush Tax Cuts and Wars.
Typical American greed, you spent the money on Tax Cuts and unfounded Wars and now the GOP in Congress don't want to pay for their pet projects with increases on those who benefited from those policies.
— Dexter - luckily for the republic, no one in congress listens to this mouth-breathing backbencher. someone should remind him that the house of representatives is not a tacony taproom— hannibal barca
- Amazing that men like Brady keep getting elected. There he is talking out one side of his mouth about protecting benefits for his people and out of the other side of his mouth talking about expensive non competitive unions.
Now most people know that unions cost 30-35% more than the fair market price for anything and everything they do. So, Mr Brady likes to talk about the little people, his little people, sort of the way Frank Rizzo the mayor did, all the while costing them all more and more of their own cash everyday in their housing costs, their food costs, their oil and gas costs because he protects the monopoly of the unions which are protected from competing in Philadelphia.... and who pays for the expensive inflated costs of the unions? Brady's little people.
And the people who end up being strapped to pay for the expensive unions are the ones who vote Brady in office over and over again. Got to love democracy.— GAC - Don Bob Brady has the requisite credentials to become a leader in the demoRAT party, a whole high school diploma membership and leadership in the local thug union. Now Don Bob Brady is making decisions on how to keep social security solvent with all his knowledge. If you are dependent on social security you better hold on to your hat because between Don Bob Brady and Obummer they'll probably grandfather illegals into collecting social security also.— Speak-truth-2-power
- robinhoodtax.org
this is the solution. tax wall street. enough of this bowing to our slave master "job creators". their chickens have come home to roost. time to pay up— Ryan - Someone please ask Brady how he managed to accumulate $10 million in wealth on a Congressman's salary. He doesn't like suits and doesn't forget where he came from? Hey Bob...how about redistributing some of your wealth. Start with your campaign warchest. Freaking toolbag.
14 years in Congress and you know what this guy is in charge of? Getting office space for any new congressmen coming in. That's it. No intelligence or finance or budget committees. He's in charge of furniture. Well done Bob.— mephisto - Thanks Dexter, for pointing out what so many conveniently forget. Social Security's coffers have been repeatedly depleted, not by recipients, but by tax cuts and loopholes for the wealthy and their corporations AND for unnecessary wars that cost this country trillions of dollars and tens of thousands of lives. Be honest and put the blame where it belongs.— POF
Everyone knows the ultimate solution for Social Security is to raise the salary limit from $110,100.
What everyone doesn't remember is that when the top tax rate was 91% the Middle Class grew with exponential speed and we remember the time as "Happy Days".
— Cuddles
Miep: You are dead wrong that this election was huge mandate for President Obama or his policies. The electoral vote "landslide" is an artifact of a political process that belongs to the 18th. century. The latest result on the popular vote is 60,193,076 or 50.4% for Obama to 57,468,587 or 48.1% for Romney. Hardly a landslide.— The Monk
Jonathan Tamari is the Inquirer’s correspondent in Washington, where he follows the Philadelphia area’s interests and representatives. Tamari comes to D.C. after two years as a beat writer reporting on the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL (where, a political source once told him, there are at least rules against hitting below the knees). He previously wrote about politics and government from Trenton, reporting on the characters and color of New Jersey state government.Jersey born and bred, Tamari now lives in the capital city, where he is looking for stories, places to run, soccer bars and good meals.
Reach him at jtamari@phillynews.com.
Follow Jonathan on Twitter: @JonathanTamari.
