John Larson_ This Is How Democrats Can Push Back On GOP Over Musk's Proposed Cuts To Social Security

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On "Forbes Newsroom", Rep. John Larson (D-CT) joins Brittany Lewis to discuss Republicans' proposed cuts to Social Security.

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Transcript

00:00Congressman, I hear how passionate you are. A lot of people saw how passionate you were

00:05earlier this week about this. I've known for a while because you and I have talked about

00:09this a year ago. But what do you think is next? Because as a Democrat in Congress, you're

00:14kind of at a disadvantage. Republicans control the White House, the House, the Senate. So

00:19what specifically can you do right now about Social Security? Because none of not a single

00:26Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee supported your resolution of inquiry.

00:32What we have to do is keep bringing it before the American public. You know, we have election

00:37cycles and that's two years, but we don't have two years here because we have someone

00:43who's laser focused. President Trump fully understands, having served as president for

00:50four years, that he only has a limited amount of time. And the Republicans in Congress understand

00:58that also. That's why they're refusing to bring this before the American people. And

01:05if the American people do not protest, if they're not calling in to their district offices,

01:13and that includes people who, you know, may not live in someone's district, all we need,

01:20imagine this, is three Republicans to stand up and say, this is not right. We can't go

01:31through this. And what will make them say that? People calling in, people stepping up,

01:39people demanding, as we will continue to do, that Elon Musk come before the committee

01:48and explain. He seems to be more than willing to go on talk shows and on TV programs and

01:55tell everybody about his plan for privatization. And look, let's acknowledge that he's a very

02:01bright and capable person, maybe a genius in some respects, but I don't care whether you're a genius

02:08or you're the wealthiest man in the world, you are not above the democracy and you are answerable

02:14to the American people under our Constitution. And that's what I think roils me the most,

02:21is that nobody is above the law in this country, and that's why they have to be answerable. And if

02:28our Republican colleagues think otherwise, they owe that explanation to their constituents and

02:35the American people. I don't believe in their heart of hearts that they do.

02:40Congressman, I've kept you entirely too long, but I do have one more question if you have the time,

02:44because it does seem like you've been standing on a mountain alone talking about Social Security,

02:49screaming from the rooftop saying, hey, Congress hasn't acted in 50 years. Why is no one listening?

02:54You're giving these cards out to all of your colleagues. I've talked weekly almost with AARP

03:01polling going up to the election. Voters who are above 54, I believe, were the voters who were

03:09most likely to participate in the election. This is an issue that they care about the most.

03:16Why does Congress not act? Is it because it's not a sexy topic? I mean, what does that look like?

03:21Because it's been kicked down the cannon. To your point, you know, both parties bear some

03:27responsibility. Having said that, this is the legacy of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

03:38Philosophically, the other side and Elon Musk are lying out how they feel about it.

03:45When President Trump says he's not going to touch Social Security, what does that mean?

03:55Does that mean he wouldn't privatize it? Does that mean that, you know, he wouldn't say I have

04:03another way of making this program work? I think they owe it to the American people,

04:11as do the Republicans, to bring them before Congress and get these answers, especially

04:18when Elon Musk is so brazen about coming out and saying that, in fact, this is what he intends to

04:27do. That, in fact, those three programs are where the money is. And of those three programs,

04:34which one has a trust fund of $2.7 trillion in it? The American people

04:46may have, some may have been born at night, but not last night. And so we're well aware of this.

04:53This is something that is going to take a real democratic national movement on people demanding

05:02what they hope is they can get through this as fast as they can with this, what they would like

05:07to say, one beautiful bill with no accountability,

05:12no one caring about what their true agenda is and what they're looking at.

05:19That can't hold in a democracy. Otherwise, we don't have a democracy. We have tyranny.

John Larson_ This Is How Democrats Can Push Back On GOP Over Musk's Proposed Cuts To Social Security

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