A PLEA TO KEEP BENEFITS IN THE BUDGET
Speculation that President Barack Obama’s fiscal year 2014 budget will reduce benefit increases for a number of government programs led to a protest Tuesday outside the White House with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., and Rep. Rick Nolan, D-Minn., speaking.
These representatives emphasized that the benefit reductions in question go against Obama’s campaign promises to shelter particular programs from budget cuts.
“I am proud to join over 20 members of Congress in saying that any cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security would be against these promises,” Takano said.
Joining the lawmakers at the protest were a number of advocate groups, including: MoveOn.org, National Organization for Women, Social Security Works, Alliance for Retired Americans, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare and AMVETS. The groups are all part of a larger coalition asking the administration to reject cuts to Social Security benefits. The coalition submitted a petition boasting more than 2.3 million signatures in support of the case for benefits.
Obama’s budget will be officially unveiled on Wednesday, but it will likely take some time before the coalition, and its supporting representatives, can see if Tuesday’s protest made any difference.
- (First and last photo in the series: John Santore/Medill News Service)
- (All other photos: Lauren Cook/Medill News Service)
