Corporate media is mostly ignoring a Republican ploy to use the debt ceiling fight to gut Social Security and Medicare if the GOP regains control of Congress — a plot that a leading observer called Friday “perhaps the most important story” of the midterm elections.
“Social Security and Medicare are on the ballot next month,” said Matt Gertz, Senior Researcher of Media Matters for America. “If the American public doesn’t know, it’s partly because the press doesn’t tell them.”
Common dreams reported earlier this week that Social Security and Medicare advocates are warning that grassroots programs — which each serve tens of millions of older Americans — face “grave danger” if Republicans resume Congressional scrutiny in January.
The warning came after four House Republicans hoped to chair the lower house budget committee Told Bloomberg Government that “changes to Social Security and Medicare eligibility, spending limits, and safety net work requirements are among the top priorities” if the GOP is back in charge.
Republican lawmakers said in the article that “next year’s deadline to raise or suspend the debt ceiling is a leverage point” to force Democrats to allow policies such as raising the age limit. of retirement and the reduction of Social Security and veterans benefits, in accordance with GOP policy. recently adopted political program.
Although congressional Democrats have sounded the alarm over what Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) has said is an “economically disastrous” policy, “there has been virtually no coverage of major TV shows. television, newspapers and other mainstream media,” Gertz noted. .
“There has been surprisingly little coverage of this development given its importance,” Gertz continued. “He earned a scattering of mentions in publications, including New York magazine. And Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and MSNBCby Chris Hayes detailed the stakes of his show on Wednesday night.”
“But the story was not referenced elsewhere this week on MSNBCOr on CNNOr on FoxNews“, he added. “The nationally broadcast morning and evening news programs on ABC, SCSand NBC didn’t discuss it. It was not mentioned in the pages of major newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journalthe Los Angeles Timesand USA today.”
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