Biden proposed scrapping Medicare and Social Security while in the Senate

between him union status President Joe Biden has sharply criticized proposals by some Republicans to cut Medicare and Social Security or require the programs to be reapproved by Congress every five years.

of the latter proposalSenator Rick Scott (R-Florida)’s proposal to “repeal” all federal laws. This means that all laws, including those that created Medicare and Social Security, automatically expire after five years unless Congress votes to renew them.

Several VERIFY viewers said they heard Biden himself made a proposal similar to Scott’s when he was in the Senate.

Did Biden ever propose a bill to abolish Social Security and Medicare?

Yes, in 1975 then-Senator Biden introduced a bill that would require all federal spending to be reviewed and reauthorized every four to six years. This includes Social Security and Medicare.

In the 1970s, members of both parties more and more worried By increasing federal spending, and seeking ways to slow it down or cut it. One popular idea is the Sunset Proposal, which requires federal programs to be regularly reviewed to maintain funding.

In 1975, Delaware Senator Joe Biden S.2067a deprecation proposal with four main components.

First, it sustained future federal spending for up to four years before requesting reauthorization from Congress.

Second, federal spending already approved automatically expires after four or six years unless Congress reauthorizes it. The four-year requirement applies to any program with a pre-set end date four or more years ahead of him. The six-year requirement applies to programs with no preset end date, i.e. programs that were originally funded in perpetuity, like Medicare and Social Security.

Third, before Congress can reauthorize a spending program, it must review the program. According to the bill, that review should consider how effective the program is, whether it remains true to its original purpose, and whether other programs are more effective in its place.

Biden’s bill did not reach a vote. Also, like Scott’s original proposal, Biden didn’t specifically mention Medicare or Social Security.

When the bill is submitted to the Senate, Biden claimed “We … have to start reviewing existing programs to determine if they are still effective and if they are worth the money we are putting into them. I have to get rid of things.”

“One thing we’ve all observed is that once a federal program starts, it’s very difficult to stop it, or even change its focus, regardless of past performance. “The time has come to require both the managers of these programs and those of us who adopt them to carefully and scrutinize their operations on a regular and continuous basis.”

The Biden administration did not immediately respond to Verify’s request for comment.

But when asked about the proposal, White House Press Secretary Carine Jean-Pierre said: told reporters on Feb. Biden’s current stance on Medicare and Social Security is clear, regardless of his 1975 proposal.

“The president insisted on protecting Medicare and Social Security from cuts, and he repeated that in his State of the Union address,” she reportedly reported.

Senator Scott since update The text of his own proposal to specifically exempt “Social Security, Medicare, National Security, Veteran’s Benefits, and other essential services.”