No cuts to U.S. entitlement programs (SS, Medicaid) in Trump budget: Mnuchin

[Deblano]

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-economy-idUSKBN1650LL

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I'm somewhat surprised that Donald Trump kept this promise, at least for now.....

[Bismarck]

get ready for giant budget deficits

Yes. It will be interesting to see how the left finds a way to attack this though.

[The_Doctor]

Does this mean RyanCare is dead?

[Lief 🗽]

Why would you trust Mnuchin? Do you think he has any input on anything that happens in the White House or in Congress?

[Hindsight was 2020]

get ready for giant budget deficits

Yes. It will be interesting to see how the left finds a way to attack this though.

Between the wall, the ban, and his Russian connections this is small potatoes

[White Trash]

Great news to hear.

[GlobeSoc]

Why would you trust Mnuchin? Do you think he has any input on anything that happens in the White House or in Congress?

I mostly agree with this

[Maxwell]

Why would you trust Mnuchin? Do you think he has any input on anything that happens in the White House or in Congress?

basically.

[Dr. Arch]

get ready for giant budget deficits

Yes. It will be interesting to see how the left finds a way to attack this though.

"time to raise taxes on the millionaires and billionaires who are not paying their fair share"

But deficits don't matter now that Republicans control all levels of government.

Nixon goes to China.

Let's take a look back on all the phony promises of the grifter in chief:

1) No canceling Paris Agreement
2) No cancelling the Iran deal
3) Choked like a dog on confronting China and Mexico
4) No renegotiating any trade deals including NAFTA
5) 32 days into his presidency and still no plan to defeat ISIS after saying he would have a plan ready in 30 days
6) No tax or health care plan ready and dosent seem like their'll ever be one since Trump is too lazy
7) None of the red meat he promised to the Evangelical money changers about repealing Johnson Amendment, or religious freedom bills
8.) What happened to special commission on vaccines or the Higher Educational committee headed by grifter Jerry Fallwell Jr.?

Trump legitimately hasn't done anything his first 30 days besides a failed EO muslim ban and feuding with everyone from Nordstroms to the media. He really has no interest in governing and just wants the attention and its killing him he cant get the media to like him. I think we can safely ignore all of his threats over Twitter since he's obviously too dumb/lazy/undisciplined to actually do anything

'

Bolded for emphasisis.

[Deblano]

get ready for giant budget deficits

We stopped given a damn about the deficit years ago.

[Ebowed]

Social Security payments are so paltry that dangling the carrot of "no cuts" is in and of itself a spit in the face to people who rely on that income to survive.

Besides, Trump and Mnuchin have no credibility and nobody should believe anything they say.  Mnuchin was caught failing to disclose his investments just weeks ago at his confirmation hearing.  These men are frauds and they are going to loot the public regardless of what happens with entitlements.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Yeah, and repeal of Obamacare will drastically cut Medicare, and Ryan wants to turn Medicaid to a voucher system.

We will see what he proposes when the time is up for renewal of Obamacare.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

He only promised no cuts in the first year. Also, maybe part of the "tax reform" will be make the inclusion of up to 85% of Social Security benefits as taxable income more "equitable" by having it apply to everyone.

[Hermit For Peace]

get ready for giant budget deficits

Yes. It will be interesting to see how the left finds a way to attack this though.

"time to raise taxes on the millionaires and billionaires who are not paying their fair share"

[Green Line]

Cut the bad stuff, spend more on the Navy.  Let it all balance out.

[Ebowed]

Cut the bad stuff, spend more on the Navy.  Let it all balance out.

This reads like "abolish two existing regulations for every new regulation." Totally inane gibberish.  You ought to draft executive orders for Donald Trump.

[Green Line]

Cut the bad stuff, spend more on the Navy.  Let it all balance out.

This reads like "abolish two existing regulations for every new regulation." Totally inane gibberish.  You ought to draft executive orders for Donald Trump.

You never asked what the bad stuff was.  Too many to list in a post.  Trump will probably not do it though.

[OSR stands with Israel]

So trump is going to be LBJ 2.0 in spending .

[Deblano]

Cut the bad stuff, spend more on the Navy.  Let it all balance out.

This reads like "abolish two existing regulations for every new regulation." Totally inane gibberish.  You ought to draft executive orders for Donald Trump.

"We are gonna promote small businesses! Reduce the size of government! Abolish two regulations for each new one! herp derp durr"

[Higgs]

Ridiculous.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Cut the bad stuff, spend more on the Navy.  Let it all balance out.

I am in full agreement with this call to abolish the United States Air Force. It may have made sense to maintain a separate branch at one time, but I don't think it does today, especially considering the USAF's uniquely severe problems with organizational culture and procurement. The F-35 alone is a historical blunder on the same scale as Lenin's abandoned Palace of the Soviets or Easter Island's moai.

Or the F-111, which was the last time the DoD tried cramming every fighter variant into the same base airframe.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

OK, so Trump has said he won't cut entitlements, but the question is why his cabinet seems pretty anti-entitlements.

[All Along The Watchtower]

OK, so Trump has said he won't cut entitlements, but the question is why his cabinet seems pretty anti-entitlements.

His Cabinet is full of billionaires, so I'm not sure what your question is...?

[The_Doctor]

Trump's pledged to not touch entitlements because they burned Bush and Trump was elected as a populist type Republican. These types don't cut programs that are seen as populist and benefits the masses. A ton of Republicans are reliant on Social Security and Medicare. Remember, to break it down further, a ton of poor white working class and older people voted Trump.

He made the promises repeatedly and his team knows its why he carried the Midwest alongside promises to fix trade, immigration, and to bring jobs back.

As far as his immigration and Muslim ban and his desire to avoid an entitlements fight, I believe he's 100% genuine on these for electoral reasons. That said I also believe Ryan will demand a up or down on RyanCare and Trump will go along to appease his Speaker while being torn about putting his electoral coalition at risk.

Is this good policy? No. Medicare is going to start affecting deficits structurally by 2018-2019 as the Baby Boomers retire in substantial numbers. Unlike Social Security, they're considered part of the budget and Medicare revenues are considered oddly part of General revenues.

But the political will to raise taxes or reduce benefits isn't simply there. Neither coalition wants to handle the crisis until it blows up in people's faces; forcing a political resolution that is painful. But they're going to wait till their hand is absolutely forced.

[Blue3]

Ryan will probably make a push for entitlements this time in 2018, and is ok to focus on what he and Trump have in common first (like tax reform and do something to ObamaCare).