Letter: October surprise

To the Editor:

By now, voters shouldn’t be surprised by news that Donald Trump overcharged the Secret Service when it needed rooms to house its protection detail while they were at one of his estates. Nor should voters raise an eyebrow when hearing the Trump administration pressured and browbeat health officials to minimize the impact of COVID, threatening some with dismissal if reports didn’t reflect favorably on the president. Or that beyond chanting “Biden Inflation” or “Unleash American Energy,” Republican plans to deal with the economy are vague at best.

No surprise there, you say. Wait. They do have a plan. That’s the surprise. The surprise plan involves Social Security, Medicare, debt default and the possibility of a government shutdown. It’s a recipe combining extortion with a little hostage-taking on the side.

The Republican Study Committee hatched the plan, and it’s ready if/when the GOP takes control of Congress. The eligibility age for Medicare will rise to 67 and Americans will have to wait until 70 to start drawing retirement benefits. There will also be pressure to means test Medicare and privatize Social Security.

The GOP intends to get this by refusing to support debt-limit ceiling legislation next year. It’s necessary to keep government running. The gamble is that without Republican support, government will shut down.

Americans will be held hostage while the GOP makes its power play, and they’ll be unable to access the services they need and deserve. The surprise of surprises will be that if the power play works, Medicare and Social Security will be harder to access than before. The only roadblock would seem to be getting control of the Congress. Too early to tell if that’s going to be another Republican surprise.

John Morello

Plano