From the ARCHIVE: Trumpscum Senator Mike Lee Against Social Security!
David Shasha
Video of Mike Lee Vowing to Gut Social Security Resurfaces
By: Nick Mordowanec
https://www.newsweek.com/video-resurfaces-senator-mike-lee-vowing-gut-social-security-1756796
A video has resurfaced from a campaign event in 2010 involving incumbent U.S. Senator Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, in which he said his intentions were to "phase out" Social Security.
Lee, who is in the midst of a reelection campaign against unaffiliated candidate Evan McMullin, was originally elected to the Senate in 2010 after incumbent Republican Senator Bob Bennett lost renomination at the GOP's state convention while seeking his fourth term.
"I'm here right now to tell you one thing you probably have never heard from a politician: It will be my objective to phase out Social Security, to pull it up from the roots and get rid of it," Lee said during a campaign stop February 23, 2010, in Cache Valley, Utah. "People who advise me politically always tell me it's dangerous and I tell them, 'In that case it's not worth my running.' That's why I'm doing this, to get rid of that. Medicare and Medicaid are of the same sort, they need to be pulled up."
The video was originally recorded by YouTube user Michelle King, who Lee addressed by name during that same campaign event. Multiple videos of Lee speaking that evening are still available for viewing on King's page.
Lee's comments came following a question from one resident regarding the Constitution and changes Lee would make in Washington, D.C.
"One of the biggest places we have to start is I believe with entitlements," Lee said. "There's nothing in here [Lee holds up a copy of the Constitution] that gives them the power to redistribute my wealth, yet that's what entitlement programs are—they're a wealth redistribution."
He said that generations had been born, lived their entire lives and died "under this sort of cradle-to-grave nanny state that we've created." He called it "utterly taboo" for a politician or individual seeking political office to mention Social Security in the same sentence as terms like "reform, reduction, phase out, elimination, privatization."
Lee later said it would involve "growing pains" to implement such sweeping changes to entitlement programs.
"Now in this last-ditch effort, let's lie to senior citizens and scare them to death with lies about Republicans, [that] they want to take away their Social Security and Medicare and cut it," said Fox News host Sean Hannity in a now viral video. "OK, not a single Republican has ever said it; no Republican supports it."
Hannity: Not a single
Republican has ever said they want to take away your Social Security..
Mike Lee: It will be my objective to phase out Social Security. To pull it up
by the roots and get rid of it. pic.twitter.com/j0EQOyKM2q
— Acyn (@Acyn) November 3, 2022
On Wednesday, The New York Times reported that Congressional Republicans, notably if they reclaim the majority in both the House of Representatives and Senate, "have embraced plans to reduce federal spending on Social Security and Medicare." That could include benefit cuts while simultaneously raising the retirement age for both programs, including an age increase for Social Security from age 67 to age 70.
Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida was called out in March by Fox News anchor John Roberts for his proposed GOP tax hike. Roberts pointed out to Scott that his plan would raise taxes on half of Americans, and potentially sunset programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
Scott replied by calling it a "Democrat talking point" prior to saying that Social Security would be "bankrupt in 12 years."
Polls show Lee leading McMullin by various amounts. An Emerson College poll from October 31 shows Lee, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump but never publicized it, up by 10 points.
The survey measured the impact of a Trump or Senator Mitt Romney endorsement, with Emerson College Executive Director Spencer Kimball saying that "either a Trump endorsement or Romney endorsement may do more harm than good" for Lee.
The McMullin campaign referred Newsweek to a new ad backed by a major TV buy that is airing across Utah, using Lee's words and record regarding Social Security.
"This attack by my opponent is straight out of the Democrat playbook," Lee told Newsweek in a statement. "Throughout my first campaign and from the day I took office, I have been clear: we must honor our commitments to retirees.
"That has been reflected in every vote I've cast, every bill I've introduced, and every speech I've given regarding Social Security. One of the first bills I sponsored would have ensured the viability of the Social Security program for the next 75 years," Lee added.
From Newsweek, February 11, 2023
White House spars with GOP senator on Social Security
By: Brett Samuels
The White House on Thursday hit back at Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) after the senator insisted he was not aware of any Republican in Congress who has tried to tie Social Security reforms to raising the debt ceiling, the latest swipe the administration has taken at the GOP on the issue.
“By protesting too much, Congressional Republicans keep proving the President’s point about their long history of threatening Medicare and Social Security,” deputy White House press secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement to The Hill.
“Half of Sen. Lee’s statement is an admission that he did indeed call for eliminating Social Security outright. But in terms of his claim that he’s aware of ‘no Republican — in either House of Congress — who has suggested any modification to Social Security as a condition for raising the debt ceiling,’ we can help.”
Bates pointed to several reports from the past few months about Republicans eyeing changes to Social Security and Medicare.
He noted an October Fox News piece headlined “Republicans eye using debt limit hike to overhaul entitlement programs if entrusted with majority” that quoted multiple House members.
He pointed to a November Bloomberg report that said Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the No. 2 Senate Republican, indicated the party wanted to leverage the debt limit increase to secure cuts in federal spending and changes to entitlement programs.
Bates cited a Jan. 6 Reuters report that “several leading GOP House members are threatening to block an increase to force cuts to Medicare and Social Security spending.”
And the White House aide highlighted a Jan. 24 report from The Washington Post headlined “House GOP eyes Social Security, Medicare amid spending battle.”
The White House has gone back and forth with Lee in the time since President Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, when the president drew jeers from the Utah senator and others when he argued some Republicans wanted to hold the debt ceiling hostage in order to sunset Social Security and Medicare.
Biden on Wednesday directly quoted a 2010 video in which Lee said: “I’m here right now to tell you one thing you’ve probably never heard from a politician. It’ll be my objective to phase out Social Security.”
Lee defended his stance in a lengthy statement issued Tuesday night, saying his comments at the time were meant to reflect how Congress should not have “sweeping power over people’s livelihoods,” but that existing commitments should be honored.
“In repeatedly quoting my 2010 remarks today, President Biden conveniently left out that critical details—that even when I voiced that position, I insisted that we honor the reliance interests of those who have paid into the system,” Lee said in a statement, adding that he has not proposed abolishing Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid during his time as a senator.
Biden has embraced the back-and-forth with Republicans over Social Security and Medicare for months, viewing it as a winning issue for the White House and Democrats.
Leading up to the midterms last fall, Biden repeatedly tied the GOP to a proposal from Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) to sunset all federal legislation after five years to argue the party wanted to put Social Security and Medicare on the chopping block.
The president during his State of the Union address drew boos and jeers from some GOP lawmakers in attendance when he claimed they were threatening Social Security and Medicare, a move he vowed to veto. When Biden’s call to protect those programs drew bipartisan applause, he suggested there was unanimous agreement on the issue.
“So tonight, let’s all agree — and we apparently are — let’s stand up for seniors,” Biden said Tuesday. “Stand up and show them we will not cut Social Security. We will not cut Medicare.”
The president on Thursday will travel to Florida to further highlight the contrast between Democrats and Republicans on Social Security and Medicare benefits, the White House said.
From The Hill, February 9, 2023