John,

Right-wing extremists in the House of Representatives want to cut funding for Social Security, Medicare, and other essential programs through the creation of a “fiscal commission”, but here’s the thing: they want to do it in secret.

When Congress returns in early January, they’ll have a few short weeks to pass full-year spending bills—or risk a government shutdown.

Instead of helping families facing high costs of living by following the Senate’s lead to pass bipartisan spending bills, some members of the House of Representatives are trying to use this deadline to sneak in their closed-door commission. Cutting funding to programs like SNAP, TANF, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid won’t reduce our national debt; it will vastly increase our national need.

What would help reduce the national debt is increasing taxes on the wealthiest households and corporations and rolling back the 2017 Trump tax breaks for the rich.

Sign now to tell Congress that a vote for the closed-door “fiscal commission” is a vote to cut Social Security, Medicare, and other critical programs.

It’s up to us to stop harmful policies in must-pass bills—and raise our voices for important investments in human needs.

We are grateful for all you do,

Meredith Dodson
Senior Director of Public Policy, Coalition on Human Needs

-- DEBORAH'S EMAIL --

John,

The House of Representatives has adjourned for the remainder of the year, but when they get back, they’ll have less than three weeks to pass a full-year budget bill or risk a federal government shutdown.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson wants to fast-track the immediate creation of a secretive fiscal commission that would put the funding of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, and other essential programs at stake.

House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington has already begun to hold hearings to create this commission and has indicated that he wants to use the temporary funding bill deadline of January 19th to include the commission in must-pass legislation.¹

We cannot cut our way to prosperity. If members of Congress truly want to tackle our national debt, the way to do that is to increase taxes on the ultra wealthy and large, profitable corporations.

SIGN THE PETITION and tell Congress that a vote for the fiscal commission is a vote to cut funding to Medicare, Social Security, and other essential programs.

In resurfaced clips from a talk he gave at the American Enterprise Institute back in 2018, Johnson states that cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are something “we have to get back to it as the number 1 priority”,² further claiming Social Security and Medicare pose an existential threat to “our whole form of government.”³

79% of Americans oppose reducing the amount of Social Security benefits and 67% are opposed to increasing Medicare monthly premiums—while 58% of Americans support increasing taxes on households making over $400,000 per year in order to pay for Medicare.⁴

We have to do everything in our power to protect the most vulnerable communities. With another government shutdown looming, we have to fight attacks on immigrant communities, children, people with disabilities, low-income families, and the aging—and ensure vulnerable people aren’t paying the price for keeping the government open. The price of keeping the government open must not be harmful policies like a behind-closed-doors commission that will fast-track cuts to our most vital programs.

ADD YOUR NAME to demand Congress reject the fiscal commission and any plans to cut funding to Social Security, Medicare, and other essential human needs programs.

Thank you for all you do,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs

¹ GOP budget chair floats attaching debt commission to government funding bills
² https://x.com/patriottakes/status/1717159919416184909?s=20
³ https://x.com/patriottakes/status/1717190984499425785?s=20
⁴ Most Americans oppose Social Security, Medicare cuts, AP-NORC poll says