 So, about a month or so ago on the program, we talked about how there was an effort amongst congressional Republicans to use COVID-19 to undermine social security. And this is something that Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell also want to do. And since social security is such a popular program, they can't just come out and explicitly say we want to cut social security or undermine social security. They can't even say that they want to privatize social security because even Republicans, even voters, that is, they have social security. They like this program, so they don't want politicians to touch it. So what they have to do is basically lie to people. Trump proposed, for example, a payroll tax cut to help people during this pandemic. Now ask yourself, why would it make sense to help people who are losing their jobs at record numbers by cutting payroll taxes? I mean, if you don't have a job, a payroll tax won't benefit you. Well, this is just a covert attempt to undermine social security because social security is a program that is funded almost disproportionately or, if not mostly, through payroll taxes. So if you cut payroll taxes, you undermine social security by cutting funding to it. And then once they create this problem, then they can propose solutions to fix social security, which leads to privatization either fully or partial. But either way, Wall Street wants it. And they are trying to deliver. So long story short, we talked about that effort and it hasn't gone away. It's still an issue. They're still trying to use COVID-19 to undermine social security and ultimately gut it by either privatizing it, whatever. And that effort is gaining momentum. And Mitt Romney is spearheading this effort because he's trying to set up these sort of task forces or committees, whatever way you want to frame this to look at what we can do to protect social security at a time when it is under threat because of COVID-19. Yeah, if it sounds sketchy, it's because it is. So for more on this, we got a Jake Johnson of Common Dreams who reports a proposal by Senator Mitt Romney to establish congressional committees with a specific goal of crafting legislative, quote unquote, solutions for America's federal trust fund programs has reportedly resurfaced in GOP talks over the next COVID-19 stimulus package. Sparking alarm among progressive advocates who warned the Utah Republicans bill is nothing but a stealth attack on social security and Medicare. Politico's Bergus Everett reported Wednesday that Romney's Trust Act first introduced last October with the backing of a bipartisan group of senators is getting a positive reception from Senate Republicans in coronavirus relief discussions, which are still in their early stages. The legislation Everett noted could become part of the mix for the next COVID stimulus package, as Republicans once again claim to be concerned about the growing budget deficit. Max Richmond, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, told Common Dreams in an interview that he is not at all surprised to see Romney's bill crop up again and said it should be diligently opposed and see PSSM vocally condemned the Trust Act when it was unveiled last year, warning that if passed, the measure would likely result in cuts to the earned benefits of seniors, people with disabilities and survivors. Richmond noted that in a House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee roundtable discussion this week, the idea of establishing commissions to study possible changes to social security, though not Romney's bill specifically was floated by GOP members, an indication that the New Deal era program is very much on the minds and potentially in the crosshairs of Republican lawmakers. Speaking to Politico this week, two Republican congressmen, representatives Tom Reed and Steve Womack cited the coronavirus pandemic's possible effects on social security to call for a commission to study the program and recommended reforms. Representative John Larson meanwhile is pushing for an expansion of benefits funded by lifting the payroll tax cap, which would make wealthy Americans pay more. So look, let me just save them the hassle. You don't even have to create these committees. Let me just tell you what the conclusion ultimately will be. The conclusion is that social security is going bankrupt. And in order to save social security, we've got to make some changes, which will ultimately result in us underfunding the program, undermining its long-term health and actuality when it's not currently the case that it is going bankrupt and then proposing a solution to the problem that they themselves created. I mean, we're kind of already seeing this, right? Because they're fear mongering about the budget and the deficit. That's what, you know, Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump are using as grounds to fear monger about, you know, needing to cut social security. So they propose some sort of solution to a problem that doesn't actually exist and they end up creating more problems with said solution that we didn't need them to implement in the first place. If you want to save social security and you want it to last for future generations, there is just one policy change that you need to make. And it was cited in this article by Representative John Larson. You just lift the cap on taxable income. Bernie Sanders talks about this and it is the one change that you need to make if you want to protect social security. Period. End of story. Anything else is just going to be an effort to undermine social security because they know that if they just come out and say, look, we want to privatize social security, it's not going to last. And if you want it to be there for future generations, your children and grandchildren, then we have to privatize it. That argument holds no weight, even among Republican Party voters. Doesn't hold any weight. So what they have to do is actually drive down satisfaction because this program is very popular. So if they can cultivate dissatisfaction by undermining the program, gutting it in ways and roundabout ways, covert ways, then people might be more open to the idea of privatization and they may not propose full privatization, but they at least want to start with partial privatization. And then once Wall Street gets their foot in the door, then, you know, it's a matter of time before they chip away at it. And it looks nothing like it does today. So this is why whenever there is any sort of inklings that they may make an adjustment or change or fix to social security, we have to sound the alarm because they are constantly looking for ways to undermine social security. And if they're going to use COVID-19 as a justification, they don't care that it's disgusting and insidious. They're going to use just that because this is what their donors want. And think about this. They're trying to roll this into the next stimulus package. Supposedly it's still early, but the first stimulus came with a multi-trillion dollar bailout for the industry. And the second one may come with them undermining social security. Even during a pandemic, they're always looking out for their donors. So I want you all to remember this. Whenever there is an opportunity for social security to be undermined and ultimately cut Republicans will be looking for that way out. Democrats also want to cut social security. They also want to deliver for their Wall Street donors. Obama tried to do this, but Bernie Sanders is the one who actually stopped him from cutting social security. So, you know, you have to be vigilant because both parties want to cut social security. But Democrats are a lot more tactical when it comes to cutting social security. They try to do it when they're in power and try to, you know, pass it as a negotiation with Republicans so they can argue that their hands were tied, like how Obama didn't want to raise, you know, the cost of living. Give social security recipients that raise, which amounts to a cut over time. But Republicans, they're just always, they don't care if they're in power or not. They're always looking for a way to undermine social security. And you have to be hyper vigilant. You have to always sound the alarm because if you back down just for a second, they're going to do it and that's a damn shame. Trump wants to do it. Mitch McConnell wants to do it and we can't let them. We have to stop them. So this is disgusting. Mitt Romney's Trust Act isn't about anything but gutting social security. We don't need to study what we need to do to protect social security. The answer is very simple. You just lift the cap so rich people can pay into it as well. There's no reason to stop people who make higher incomes from paying into social security. That doesn't make any sense, right? They're going to get it too, right? It's a universal program, so why should they not be paying into it? So that's it. Anyone who proposes anything else is lying to you. They're trying to deceive you because they ultimately want to gut social security and privatize it for their donors and we can't let them. We cannot let them. We have to fight them because they're going to do it if we don't fight them at every step of the way. The humanist report is fake news. Mike only cares about crazy Bernie and his wacky socialist ideas. Sad, very sad. I'm unsubscribing.