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John,
Together, we mobilized and defeated Trump’s plan to force Congress to defund Social Security in the next round of COVID-19 relief. But his economic advisors just launched a new trial balloon for an unconstitutional power grab in the Wall Street Journal op-ed page:1
He should declare a national economic emergency and announce that the Internal Revenue Service will immediately stop collecting the payroll tax.
That’s right: With Congress unwilling to do his dirty work, Trump advisors are looking for a way to defund Social Security by fiat. And this call comes while a new dark money group is launching a six-figure ad buy to push Trump’s scheme.2
We’re rallying our allies to make sure Trump knows there will be hell to pay if he keeps coming for Social Security. Chip in $7 to STOP Trump’s scheme!
Donald Trump is so desperate to defund Social Security, he may rip the Constitution to shreds to make it happen. This scheme―which he calls the ‘payroll tax cut’―leaves out tipped workers, employees who lose shifts because of the economic slowdown, or people who lose their jobs entirely. Cutting Social Security contributions by definition only helps businesses and people who still have a regular paycheck.
Trump has already stated that he’d like to defund Social Security permanently, and this scheme sets up a time bomb for the Biden administration. If Trump wins re-election, he’ll seek to permanently defund Social Security, while if Biden wins and restores Social Security’s funding, Republicans will immediately attack him for “raising taxes.”
Defunding Social Security is part of a two-step scheme with the TRUST Act, which is championed by Mitt Romney and a part of Mitch McConnell’s COVID-19 proposal last week. First, they eliminate Social Security’s revenue; then, the annual shortfall―where Social Security is forced to tap its $2.9 trillion surplus―triggers the TRUST Act’s fast-track cuts process.
We’re not going to change Trump’s mind. But we can scare the hell out of Republican Senators like Susan Collins and Steve Daines who he expects to let him get away with it. Chip in $7 today to pop the Trump administration’s trial balloon!
This proposal is part of a frightening trend of Trump seeking expanded authoritarian powers as the election nears. If he gets away with defunding our Social Security system by fiat, he’ll know he can get away with anything. That’s why we must stop him. Chip in $7 today!
Thanks,
Michael Phelan
Social Security Works
1 https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-trump-can-deliver-tax-relief-without-congress-11596396830?mod=hp_opin_pos_2
2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=58&feature=emb_title&v=rDZKu9GnLko&app=desktop
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