Dear MoveOn member,
Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has just
gotten its first report from one of its top advisers, the far-right Cato
Institute, on how to cut $2.5 trillion in government spending. And it's a
doozy.
Its first mandate: Undermine Social Security.^1
The report, which calls Social Security a Ponzi scheme, says that
cost-of-living adjustments should be frozen, the eligibility age must be
raised to 70, and that benefits overall should be cut back.^2
It's clear the economic experts who were sounding the alarm were right:
There is no way for Musk to cut $2.5 trillion from the budget—which he
wants to give to the wealthy like himself in a massive tax cut—without
cutting the retirement program 68 million people depend on.^3
John, in less than 20 days, Donald Trump will take office and
Elon Musk could have the power to put his plans into action—if we don't
act. We need to very quickly make the public outrage so loud and palpable
that Congress won't dare allow Trump and Musk to gut our social programs.
MoveOn members have a critical role to play in fighting Trump's agenda
every single day, so we can defend our most vulnerable communities and
stop the destruction of the hard-earned benefits we are entitled to. Will
you start a $5 monthly donation to help power and sustain
our work?
[ [link removed] ]Yes, I'll chip in monthly.
[ [link removed] ]No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
Almost every single dollar of Musk's net worth can be traced back to
government subsidies, contracts, and tax breaks—but Musk is planning on
making sure the rest of us pay the price.^4 And the Cato Institute's plans
don't stop at Social Security.
The report urges DOGE to privatize government assets like Amtrak and the
U.S. Postal Service. It calls for the transition of national parks to the
states, a repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act, and slashing Medicare and
Medicaid. It even calls on the government to deregulate child care.^5
No wonder Trump calls DOGE the "Manhattan Project of our time."^6 The plan
is to basically nuke our economy and well-being.
But the progressive movement already has an advantage.
We don't have to convince the average American that DOGE is terrible for
our country—the majority already believes that. Cutting Social Security
has long been considered a third rail in politics.The vast majority of
Americans also believe that Trump should choose qualified people over
people who support his policies to run the government and that the wealthy
should pay more in taxes, not less.^7,8
We need to capitalize on the momentum against Elon Musk, DOGE, and Trump's
other awful nominees. Will you start a $5 monthly donation
to keep up the fight against Trump, Musk, and the MAGA agenda for the next
four years?
[ [link removed] ]Yes, I'll chip in monthly.
[ [link removed] ]No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
Because we don't have to convince the majority that Trump's plans are bad
for our nation, we can instead focus on showing the people that their
voices matter.
We've already helped stop Matt Gaetz's appointment as attorney general,
and Pete Hegseth's path to secretary of defense is looking less and less
likely—all because of the power of the people coming together and
organizing together.
That's why it is so important that we hit the ground running this year. We
cannot wait until DOGE's policies take effect. We cannot wait until
Trump's terrible Cabinet is already installed. We cannot wait until
Congress is about to vote on another $2 trillion tax cut. We know from
experience that by then, it will be too late.
Instead, we need to make sure that these people and policies never come up
for a vote. We need to make Elon Musk a pariah in Washington, D.C. We need
to make cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid so politically
poisonous, no member of Congress will touch them. And we need to build
momentum to stop the worst of Trump's impulses before he takes office.
We are gearing up for one of the toughest years in our history,
John, and we cannot do any of it without your help. Please
start a $5 monthly donation to fuel our efforts to stop the
worst of the Trump administration. Your ongoing support couldn't be more
critical.
[ [link removed] ]I'll chip in monthly.
[ [link removed] ]I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
Thanks for all you do.
–Julia, Mohammad, Amanda R., Cheryl, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "Cato Institute Report to the Department of Government Efficiency
(DOGE)," Cato Institute, December 11, 2024
[link removed]
2. Ibid.
3. "Elon Musk Wants to Pay for His Tax Cuts With Your Social Security and
Medicare," Rolling Stone, December 20, 2024
[link removed]
4. "How much of Musk's wealth comes from tax dollars and government help?"
CNN, November 20, 2024
[link removed]
5. "Elon Musk Wants to Pay for His Tax Cuts With Your Social Security and
Medicare," Rolling Stone, December 20, 2024
[link removed]
6. Ibid.
7. "CNN Poll on Trump-Transition," SSRS, December 11, 2024
[link removed]
8. "Americans Support Raising Taxes on the Wealthy and Big Corporations,"
Navigator Research, February 27, 2024
[link removed]
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MoveOn has been leading the movement against right-wing extremism for 26
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