Social Security on the table in debt limit talks

Story from The Takeaway. Use audio player above to listen to full report.

The latest news out of the ongoing negotiations to raise the country’s debt limit is that President Obama is putting entitlement reform on the table. But Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats say they were caught completely off-guard by the president’s latest proposal, and said that the party is opposed to including Social Security cuts in any kind of deal. 

In an interview with The Takeaway, Representative Rush Holt, a Democrat from New Jersey’s 12th district, said entitlement programs shouldn’t be the focus. “Social Security and Medicare have not caused this problem; that is not where we should be looking,” said Rush. “Where we should be looking at is the economic activity that is crippling our country.”

The president says the two sides remain divided and far from finding reaching an agreement, but House Speaker John Boehner says there’s a 50-50 chance that they’ll be able to arrive at a decision this week.

————————————————————-

“The Takeaway” is a national morning news program, delivering the news and analysis you need to catch up, start your day, and prepare for what’s ahead. The show is a co-production of WNYC and PRI, in editorial collaboration with the BBC, The New York Times Radio, and WGBH.