Dems warn of cuts to social security, GOP alleges fear mongering

MERIDEN — Two Congressional Democratic lawmakers stopped at the Meriden Senior Center Wednesday to talk about possible changes to Social Security and Medicare, particularly if Republicans gain control of the House in the coming election.

U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes is locked in a tight battle against Republican challenger George Logan to represent the state’s 5th Congressional District. Hayes was joined by Sen. Chris Murphy Wednesday at the senior center. 

Democrats in swing districts like Hayes have increased their rhetoric following GOP proposals to raise the eligibility age for Social Security and Medicare or subject those programs to frequent reauthorization debates. Republicans, for their part, have called the tactic fear-mongering. 

“Some are talking about sunsetting Social Security, cutting benefits, or raising the age. Jahana and I want to strengthen Medicare and Social Security. We really think this election is critical,” Murphy said.

Hayes supports a plan put forth by Connecticut Democrat U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-1st, to strengthen Social Security that does not revert the program to discretionary spending. 

She pointed to two Republican lawmakers who have campaigned with Logan in the state, U.S. Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri and U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker of Pennsylvania. Both serve on the Congressional Budget Committee, with Smith eyeing a spot on the powerful Ways and Means Committee. 

“There are some really dangerous proposals for Social Security coming up ahead of this election. Two Republicans who are campaigning with my opponent have said ‘we want to look at innovative ways to lower expenses.’ Social Security is for people who paid into it all their lives. You need to be able to plan ahead to get ahead. We have brought down premiums and costs of prescriptions,” Hayes said.

Logan’s campaign manager Paul Amarone accused Democrats of fear mongering to families and senior citizens.

“George Logan does not want to cut Social Security or Medicare,” Amarone said in an email. “George wants to go to Washington to help bring costs down for families and seniors who are struggling to make ends meet. This claim is nothing but an attempt to distract voters from the bad policies out of Washington that have made everything more expensive.”

 Hayes countered that a single lawmaker’s ability to stop changes is unrealistic should the GOP control the House majority. 

“If this comes out of the Budget Committee, and the majority puts the bill on the floor, Hayes said. “There is no way one person can change the trajectory on that.”

According to Bloomberg, Smith wants to use debt limit talks to extract concessions from Democrats on entitlements and spending.  

“The debt limit is clearly one of those tools that Republicans — that a Republican-controlled Congress — will use to make sure that we do everything we can to make this economy strong,”  Smith told Bloomberg.

Smith said Republicans will focus on “protecting and preserving” Social Security and Medicare, but he declined to say specifically if he supports the Republican Study Committee proposal to raise the eligibility age. He said broadly that…