WHAT WILL OBAMA SAY AND DO ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY?

Washington, D.C.-- On January 19, House Republicans passed a bill to repeal health care reform. We know that bill won't become law. However, their next target just might be tearing apart Social Security— and, considering how "pragmatic" the White House has been talking, they could succeed.

Right now, Washington has been whipped into a frenzy over the deficit, and there are rumors that White House officials may try to cut a deal with Republicans by offering cuts to Social Security in the State of the Union, just like they did over the Bush tax cuts.

Representatives from about 30 labor unions and liberal groups met with senior White House officials on Monday to express their strong opposition to any cuts in Social Security benefits.

Some key Democrats in Congress have also signaled that they're open to cutting Social Security. However, cutting Social Security is massively unpopular with average folk, and if we can spread the word that this threat is more real than ever, we can create an outcry loud enough to stop it in its tracks.

Tea Party hysteria about deficits is pushing Republicans—and many Democrats—to support big cuts to Social Security benefits and raise the retirement age. Speaker of the House John Boehner wants to cut benefits by over 20 percent, and he's not alone. Members of the media, and even leading Democrats like Steny Hoyer are trumpeting Social Security cuts— even though Social Security runs a surplus, can't contribute to the deficit, and can be secured for decades without any cuts to benefits.

If the Voice Reporter's sources are right, President Obama could be next to embrace cuts, even as soon as the State of the Union address on January 25. Social Security belongs to us, the people who pay into it, and benefit cuts are totally unacceptable-— not to mention devastating for the middle class workers who count on benefits to make ends meet.

We can stop benefit cuts in their tracks, but President Obama needs to hear from our working families. We need a massive outcry in defense of our Social Security, to convince the President to take benefit cuts off the table.  And, Obama may suggest a recalculation of Social Security cost-of-living adjustments or extend an invitation to Republicans to work with him on reducing the program's costs during his speech.  If that this the case, it will create a huge schism in the Democratic Party and stymie any good will that does exist with progressives.

Please contact your congressional representatives and say that any cuts to the most successful government program in history should not be altered at this time.

The president was very clear as a candidate for office; he has been murky since being in office.  Working families need to remind him that he needs to keep his promise to the people who elected him-- keep your hands off our Social Security.  As we approach the State of the Union Address, you don't know exactly what's coming. But you do know that afterwards-- nothing will ever be the same.