Mitt Romney wins praise for challenging White House claims about Social Security
Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney's positions have often been derided by conservatives, such as his decision in 2020 to support former President Donald Trump's impeachment.
However, Romney's recent exchange with a White House official had Red State contributor Nick Arama praising the senator for having finally gotten "something right."
The incident occurred on Thursday and involved Shalanda Young, who serves as director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Romney at one point took issue with President Joe Biden's claim during his State of the Union address that Republicans seek to cut Social Security.
Romney repeatedly asked Young if she had "heard of proposals from a current senator or congressman currently proposing to cut benefits to Social Security."
"Yes. Have they changed their position? Maybe, but yes. Members who are current—" Young began to reply before Romney interrupted and demanded to know whether such proposals had been made in recent months or even the past year.
"Current members have well-known policies out there to cut Social Security and Medicare," Young said before Romney shot back that her words were "simply wrong" and "not honest."
Romney complains
Romney also complained that despite his rhetoric, Biden took no effort to protect Social Security in his recent budget proposal.
Romney stressed how the Social Security "trust fund" is expected to run out and that this will result in benefits being "cut dramatically, like 25 percent," a point Young did not dispute.
"Well, why is it then that in the president’s budget, there’s no effort to address that whatsoever?" the senator demanded.
"And that’s the question that no one is seriously taking on, particularly not Biden or the Democrats. What’s going to happen when that hits? Where is the accounting for that?" he asked.
Although Young again attempted to accuse Republicans of attacking Social Security, Romney was quick to push back, saying, "There’s nobody in this committee that wants to cut it."
Declaration
"I know of no Republican or Democrat in the House or the Senate proposing cutting Social Security benefits, and it’s dishonest to keep saying it. It’s offensive and dishonest and not realistic…Why have you not proposed in your budget any action to protect Social Security?" Romney declared.
Later, the senator posted a video of the back-and-forth to his YouTube channel along with a statement that read, "It's dishonest—even offensive—that this Administration is ignoring the real threat to Social Security, its imminent insolvency, and instead repeating a false talking point that Republicans are out to cut benefits."
