SSDI and This Year’s State of the Union Address
On the eve of President Obama’s State of the Union address, millions of Americans will be watching and wondering what he will say regarding the economy. Although slight improvements have been made in unemployment numbers the past few months, many are still concerned about jobs and government spending. The 800 pound gorilla in the room will be the national debt, which has risen above $14 trillion, and the spending cuts that will be proposed in order to decrease it.
Since the shootings in Tucson involving Arizona representative Gabrielle Giffords, there has been consensus around Washington to tone down the rhetoric a notch and increase civility, if not bipartisanship. The expectation for the atmosphere during this year’s address, therefore, is one of both parties signaling they’re willing to work together. Specifically, President Obama is expected to reach out to Republicans and work with them on budget cuts. After all, the President’s approval ratings are above 50% for the first time since health care reform passed and is due in large part to, quite possibly, the most bipartisan and productive lame duck session in Congressional history.
However, bipartisanship is never as easy as it sounds. The Republicans are looking to play to their Tea Party supporters who want to drastically cut the federal budget by as much as $1 trillion annually. Meanwhile, the President needs to keep in mind the support he will require from liberals, who prefer raising taxes before cutting spending, to get re-elected in 2012. If the President wants to find a way forward on budget cuts and the Republicans hold firm on their determination to cut spending dramatically, there is concern that cuts to Social Security Disability Insurance may provide as a window of opportunity.
Tea Party Republicans loathe Social Security Disability Insurance as much as they loathe taxes: they want to completely get rid of it. They see it as free money for lazy people and welfare gone wild. Seeing as the Republican Party will pen the budget for the next fiscal year, some are beginning to wonder if the President will eventually be forced to see making cuts to SSDI as an acceptable compromise. He may not have to: cutting any part of Social Security is highly unpopular with the public at-large and Republicans may pay a political price in 2012 if they proceed with such plans.
Regardless, the Social Security program accounts for the most significant portion of the federal budget. Serious spending cuts to reduce the debt may need to be made there if Congress wants to make good on their word to drastically cut spending immediately. Citizens on disability insurance, Social Security Disability lawyers, deficit hawks, and concerned Americans everywhere will be paying close attention to the State of the Union address as the President lays out his vision for this year.
