Monday, May 20, 2013
Rep. Chellie Pingree is one of two dozen House Democrats who have sent a letter to President Obama slamming the idea of cutting spending on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid as part of a debt ceiling deal.
Pingree, D-1st, is reacting to reports that Obama is considering accepting cuts to the massive entitlement programs as part of a deal that would have Republicans accept raising government revenues through closing some tax loopholes.
While House Democrats are balking at any type of entitlement spending cuts, many Republicans, particularly in the House, are leery of raising taxes of any type. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is among a group of Senate Republicans who have said eliminating certain tax loopholes, with the ethanol subsidy one Collins is aiming at, could be part of a deal.
Pingree wants to produce more government revenue by allowing the Bush era tax cuts on the wealthy to expire, but says the entitlement programs should be off the table in the negotiations to raise the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling.
"Raising the debt ceiling has nothing to do with spending and borrowing," Pingree said in a statement this morning. "The decision to borrow money happened when the last president started two wars and gave huge tax breaks to the rich. THe debt ceiling is abouit paying our bills and meeting our obligations."
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Kevin Miller is Washington bureau chief for the Portland Press Herald and MaineToday Media. He has worked as a journalist in Maine for 6 ½ years, covering the environment, politics and the State House. Before arriving in Maine, he wrote about politics, government and education for newspapers in Virginia and Maryland.
Kevin can be reached at 317-6256 or kmiller@mainetoday.com
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