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Former Sen. Trent Lott, (R-Miss.), on the need to reform entitlements in an effort to rein in spending.
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Welcome back the national debt well it is approaching sixteen point five trillion dollars and we know that that's a scary number.
But you know what BDA could be even more frightening.
And that's -- percentage of people just polled who are against spending cuts to Medicare and that's gonna make it even tougher to deal with exploding entitlements.
Just ask -- Republican senator treatment majority leader Trent Lott his whispering -- -- you make of that poll finding.
Well I'm not really surprised at what it indicates to me is that we have not done a good enough job of explaining to people.
It's not going to affect people that are now retire depending own Medicare.
It is a future change which -- reform preserved and protected but it's gonna have to be done everybody in this city knows that we lack -- reform entitlement programs.
Most of both Medicare Medicaid and Social Security.
And it can be done in a simple boy protect the -- which make sure there there.
For our children and our grandchildren but we're gonna do a better job -- explaining what needs to be done it quite frankly.
The president needs to step up and lead all of this subject he knows we've got to reform these programs or they could -- up everything.
That we have for the federal but it.
The president is -- -- in his inaugural address he's saying you know final day of the entitlements make us safer as a country what did you make of that.
Well I thought I was very this -- in the speech I thought it was going to be more typical inaugural speech where he reaches out to -- go to work together we're gonna do the tough things we're gonna.
You know at what we can do for our country -- -- -- -- country can do for us she didn't do that.
It was it was the most left -- speech -- -- I've ever heard.
At presidential.
-- president -- just been elected DO he's gonna have come to terms of this and I guess he just you're gonna try to ignore it.
If he does we're and I don't get budget agreement should and the deficit and the debt will continue to go up and -- -- sure we'll have to pay the bills that are totally irresponsible.
Alright senator today just correct me if I'm wrong I mean I just think that the American people when they hear these debt.
Debates they don't want to make -- -- there's significant what are what should be scared about.
And you put it nicely just -- you said either have to fix it because we have a flood of baby boomers.
You know retiring and drawing down a retiree health benefits in the 2020s started 20/20 two I think that's an adverse -- -- 67.
It's either that.
Or middle class tax hikes is speculating at a pay for you don't hear anything out of the White House about the fact that you gonna need to raise middle class taxes -- wanna keep that entitlement.
State going go ahead.
None of them and it's just so bullish as a matter of fact that was just back in my home state Jackson Mississippi went to real -- patients sooner.
Talking to the latest of the deaths there.
Where you check in and understand what -- -- -- thought this was just going to be attacks that hit the -- that people might check get one every two weeks it just got cut 200 all of us going -- But again that's that's why the president needs to step up and frankly that's one members of congress have got to do a better job explaining.
That we have real problems with these entitlement programs and UK just -- yourself.
You know into a balanced budget in fact.
We've got also be thinking about growth ever tell my -- Paul run out say all don't just talk about what we've got to do about the budget talk about growth.
What can we do to grow the economy.
But only Asian -- programs like Medicare.
Is that many of the fixes are really -- There will affect people in the future raise the retirement age year or eighteen months or two years.
You know controlled some of the spending of some of the programs co pays.
But we need to do a better job -- explaining simply and directly to the people.
We're not talking about eliminating the programs are cutting the programs we're talking about -- find the programs.
Going forward so the programs will be -- There give -- sinners not out the American people did not hear it -- Republican side of the debate and it's sort of like help the American people did not really grasp that -- that.
Tax cuts.
We're GOP -- Republican tax cuts -- -- -- by the Democrats that the George W.
Bush tax cuts.
But getting back to -- point you made about the fact or maybe through rates -- retirement age.
I think that -- the American people I understand that the Republicans are talking.
You know openly and honestly about what needs to happen but what if you gonna do that you have to have anti aids discrimination laws.
People working in their seventies get sick on the job if they can get easily fire I can't imagine working -- age seventy go ahead senator.
I 171.
I'm John what do you.
Retired from the senate that would to work to very different kind of work.
But again we we're not talking about a huge increase people or living longer people are in better health for a variety reasons.
We Paul he would do it over appear -- years and it would affect.
A few people you know going forward in the next several years it would affect probably our children.
But even then it would have a minimal impact -- -- Social Security for instance or you're talking about it is an honest call -- living increased each year.
Based only actual call from actual and.
Late I hear right you know it's a fantasy that you know the payroll tax and financial security let's declines in the content that's very expensive that -- you know I wanna come under read this quote from Lawrence core he's former assistant secretary of defense under the Reagan administration.
I want you to respond to this quote what he said is.
But with -- entitlement reform it's going to be a choice between entitlements paper so security for Medicare and Medicaid.
Or new weapons systems in other words he's saying Eric -- national security is at risk that's what Mike Mullen has also said former that -- that joint Joint Chiefs of Staff.
What do you make of mr.
-- comment there.
Well -- -- see the comment but we we -- let it become that kind of choice we have to have.
A defense that can do the job of the -- and protecting our freedoms and standing up for American.
Safety for instance.
Wherever they may be around the world at the same time we need to have entitlement programs look I'm for investing in -- young people I have for protecting older people.
My mother fault that she had paid for everything she grew out of Medicare both -- heart but she probably paid into Medicare -- -- at 40000 she probably throughout a 100000.
So they did do need to be some reforms but.
And we're gonna have to control spending across the board we need to take a look at the Pentagon I'm not I'm not a -- that.
You need -- sensible prevention program that reflects what's the color the needs are today in to protect the country and defend our positions around the world.
Senator -- the problem is the fact that Washington DC since been living in bubbles Citi.
In the real estate's going strong a lobbyists and consultants in the area you know everything seems to be great Washington DC not present country.
Is impacting any of that this decision making going on Washington DC go ahead.
Whole I think so -- thank you and kind of a -- appear but also remember members of congress and members of the senate that are new in the job they're going home to their districts their states.
They're talking to people listen to people.
I think district by district or state by state people get that that this debt in this deficit is gonna consumers.
Part of the problem though again and I go back to the president he has the biggest megaphone in the town and in the country.
He has to be responsible and step up and speak up -- lead.
Now a based owners and -- rest.
Maybe he's not gonna do that -- that really worries me about the future of our country and it's not about me -- mob pure learning more about my grandchildren.
And we are under serious threat if we don't get these programs under control.
Thank you so much former senate majority leader Trent -- Always good to duty sir thank you some -- but I really appreciate it next up.
