Older Americans Oppose Social Security, Medicare Cuts to Fix Federal Debt

A new survey of 1,016 people from AARP finds most Americans 50 and older — 85 percent — are against cutting Social Security or Medicare benefits to reduce the federal budget deficit. Moreover, 87 percent of Democrats, 79 percent of independents, and 88 percent of Republicans strongly oppose Social Security cuts;, 87 percent of Democrats, 80 percent of independents, and 86 percent of Republicans also strongly oppose reductions to Medicare benefits. Forty-nine percent of all Social Security beneficiaries over age 65 depend on the program's benefits for at least half their income, while roughly 25 percent of Social Security beneficiaries over age 65 live in families that rely on Social Security for at least 90 percent of their income. The Time to Rescue United States' Trusts (TRUST) Act would establish small "rescue committees" to propose changes to Social Security and Medicare, and who could fast-track the reduction of these programs and effectively prevent any changes to such measures after they go to the U.S. Senate or House. AARP fiercely opposes this and other such measures, calling for broad public debate instead.