Town Hall Crowds: Social Security, Medicare Cuts Unacceptable

'August Accountability' Actions Forcing Lawmakers to Listen

CWA members and retirees in New York state tell Republican Congresswoman Nan Hayworth, "Hands Off Medicare" in one of hundreds of August protests by CWA and allies nationwide.

Faced with tough questions from CWA members and other angry voters at town hall meetings and protests over the last month, some Republican lawmakers have been defiant. But there's evidence that others are listening, especially on the critical issues of protecting Medicare and Social Security.

"Don't cut my Social Security and Medicare. I've heard that quite a bit," South Dakota Sen. John Thune acknowledged after meetings with his constituents. In fact, he said those concerns were even more prevalent than anger over the inability of Congress to get anything done.

At a town hall Monday in Iowa, Sen. Chuck Grassley faced a roomful of signs and boisterous applause each time a voter got up and urged him to strengthen Social Security, not cut it or privatize it — a scheme Grassley himself pushed for as Senate Finance Committee chairman in 2005.

A woman who said she and her husband run a business in Carroll County, asked, "Why can't we raise the wage cap in order to ensure that Social Security can continue on as it is without talking about cutting it?" As reported by ThinkProgress.org, she said that both she and her husband as the business owners and another family member working for it would pay more if the cap were raised, "And you know what? No complaints. We want to have Social Security!"

One man talked about losing his IRA and 401k funds when the stock market imploded in 2008, the year he retired. "By October, that entire pension was gone because the stock market went south on me," he said. "And if that had been my Social Security, sir, I wouldn't have that or not as much of it. I would be expected to live on whatever the stock market leaves me."

CWA members and retirees have been involved in more than 200 events nationwide over the last month as members of Congress have been on recess in their home districts. The push continues over the next few days, before lawmakers head back to Washington.