Dear John,

Politico has offered a preview of the Republican budget proposal, and while they don’t cut Social Security and Medicare directly, they do plan to slash nearly two trillion dollars from Medicaid -- and create a closed-door commission empowered to cut Social Security and Medicare.

Let’s be clear: There is only one reason to “negotiate” Social Security and Medicare's future in a closed-door commission and it’s to give Congress cover to cut benefits without input from voters who have paid into our Social Security system their whole lives.

We need to act fast to make sure this isn’t included in any government shutdown deal. Send Congress a message: No closed-door commission to cut Social Security and reject any budget that slashes Medicaid!

None of the politicians who claim to want to make “hard choices” about Social Security or Medicare have introduced or co-sponsored a single bill that asks the rich to pay their fair share.

Not one.

The truth is, if the wealthy paid into Social Security at the same rate as teachers, sales clerks, and just about everyone else, we could afford to expand Social Security -- not cut it!

Every politician who tries to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid is demonstrating that they’d rather American families suffer without needed medical care than for their rich donors to pay one penny more in taxes.

It should be a scandal. Instead, it’s just politics as usual.

We’ve stopped them before by exposing their backdoor plans. It’s time to do it again. Sign the emergency petition now and tell Congress: Hands off Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

With a possible government shutdown looming, it’s important Congress knows where we stand.

Thank you for taking action today.

Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action