Americans know it’s a lie

Dear editor:

Social Security does not add to the national debt or budget deficits.

“By law, Social Security can’t add a penny to the federal deficit.” And yet I hear Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell go on national TV and flat-out lie stating it’s one of the principal drivers of our national debt, and not the 18 years of constant wars that are the major causes. Not to mention the nearly $2 trillion he and his Republican colleagues added to our debt with their fake tax cuts that were nothing more than a payoff to their political donors which a few Republicans actually came out and admitted as much in print.

McConnell also added Medicare and Medicaid to the lies as well as any “social” benefit to the average American. I suppose housing and feeding the poor, that’s probably less than 1 percent of the entire budget is also a huge cause. Americans know it’s a lie and an attempt to convince us to let them hand our Social Security retirement, that we spent a lifetime contributing to, off to the vultures on Wall Street so they can skim 10 or 20 percent in fees off it? President Bush toured the country trying to convince people to do just that and failed miserably. We are just not that stupid. We have the FICA, Federal Insurance Contributions Act, that funds Social Security through our payroll taxes as well as Medicare for Part A hospital stays and the employers pay half and employees half. And remember, it is a “defined benefit” plan not a “defined contribution” plan like IRAs and 401Ks that are gambled with in the stock market while Social Security sits in the safe U.S. Treasuries. Judith Zitko Hot Springs Village