Johnson steps on political land mine with Social Security, Medicare comments
(The Hill) – Sen.
Johnson had been cruising to reelection in a favorable political climate for
But now Johnson is on the defensive as
Johnson has landed in hot water before for making provocative comments on conservative media, most notably when he said he didn't feel threatened by protesters who stormed the
Now Johnson is being asked to defend his comments to "The Regular Joe Show" podcast calling for
Johnson is doubling down on his bold position, arguing that if
And he says he's been calling for making Medicare and
"I've been saying for as long as I've been here that we should transfer everything, put everything on budget so we have to consider it if every year. I've said that consistently, it's nothing new," he said. "I want to save it, I want to fix it. Right now we're whistling past the graveyard."
Senate Majority Leader
Johnson said it's a "lie" and a "distortion" that he wants to put the programs on the "chopping block" as
"I never said that, I never inferred that in any way shape or form. What I'd like to do is save the programs and the only way to save the programs is if you take a look at them," he said.
He says
"These are the programs that have taken several generations of seniors out of poverty," she said.
Baldwin noted that Johnson told
Johnson said he agreed with "most of it."
"Not only has he made those references," Baldwin said, referring to "The Regular Joe Show" podcast. "But back when
Speaker
"Putting
Former longtime
"
Nuckels projected that campaign attacks focused on Johnson's comments about
"When you have 60 to 65 percent of the electorate above the age of 50, that's going to be a big problem for him," he said. "Johnson grabbed the third rail with both hands on that one."
A Senate Republican strategist said Johnson's latest comments on
But the source pointed out that Johnson still has a good chance of winning reelection because
"I'm not worried about Johnson," the strategist said. "
Other
Senate Republican
"I have not heard other members talk about that," he said. "I think the assumption always has been that those are programs, when you look at the overall federal spending, that are part of mandatory [spending.] They're considered entitlements. ... If you're eligible and you qualify, you get the benefits."
One notable exception is Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, who called for sunsetting all federal legislation in five years as part of his "Rescue America Plan."
"If a law is worth keeping,
The political risk Scott's plan posed to Senate Republican candidates prompted Republican Leader
McConnell told reporters that he, not the
"We will not have as part of our agenda a bill that raises taxes on half the American people and sunsets
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