Trumka Speaks out on ‘Grand Bargain’
October 25, 2012
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In an op-ed published on Politico, AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka argues “Americans Don’t Want ‘Grand Bargain.’”
“What is the grand bargain?” asks Trumka. “It boils down to lower tax rates for rich people — paid for by benefit cuts for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. These are precisely the issues that are being debated so vigorously in the campaign, and voters do not want anything to do with such a deal.”
The AFL-CIO is planning a series of coordinated events around the country on Nov. 8, two days after Election Day, to pressure lawmakers not to sign onto any deficit-reduction deal that cuts Medicare and Social Security benefits. More details to come.
“The grand bargain crowd says we have to cut benefits to lower the deficit,” writes Trumka. “But if they were serious about reducing the deficit, they would not propose to lower the top tax rate for the richest Americans, which wastes trillions of dollars. If you want to cut benefits for working Americans while cutting the top tax rate for the richest Americans, it is abundantly clear which side you’re on.”
“This deal stinks to high heaven, which is precisely why it is being negotiated behind closed doors,” continues the AFL-CIO President. “We say no to secret deals. Let’s have this debate out in the open. Do you think the American people really want to cut benefits for Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare in exchange for lowering the top tax rate for the richest Americans? I don’t think so.”
For more on Trumka’s op-ed, click here.
