Speaker Johnson warns of ‘desperate times’ for Social Security — and Democrats say that means benefit cuts Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below.
Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson recently set off a political firestorm on a highly sensitive topic: Social Security reform
During a June 8 appearance on a Louisiana radio show (1), Johnson said that more than 74% of federal spending runs “on autopilot,” pointing to entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security as things that “have to be adjusted and fixed.” He added that Republicans “have a plan to do that next year,” citing the country’s $40-trillion-plus debt and saying “desperate times call for desperate measures,” according to Newsweek (2). Top Picks – Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake — here’s how to fix it ASAP – JP Morgan sees gold hitting $6,000/oz before 2027 — and a Gold IRA lets you hold the physical metal while deferring the tax bill. Get your free guide from Priority Gold – The ultra-rich use these 5 real estate strategies to build wealth while they sleep — you can start with just $100 The comments drew swift criticism from Democrats, who argued that the administration is preparing to slash benefits for millions of Americans. “Mike Johnson says Republicans have a plan to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid — after already passing the largest healthcare cut in history,” Ken Martin, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said on X (3). “Higher costs, less healthcare.
That’s what Republicans are running on this November.” Johnson took to X to defend the cuts, writing that “the House has already passed substantive legislation to clean up this waste, fraud, and abuse (4),” in reference to allegations of widespread Medicaid-related fraud in the state of Minnesota. “Democrats have voted against nearly every piece of legislation we’ve passed,” he added. Here’s…