steve israel of new york is the chairman of the democratic congressional campaign committee. surely he will know. congressman is there a deal that's imminent? >> well, there's no deal, because we're having a hard time negotiating with one side. look, you've got -- i like what you said, michael, there are adults who understand we cannot default, and you have got the gang of six in the senate that is seeking a compromise. mcconnell's seeking a compromise. house democrats of seeking a common sense compromise. the president seeking a common sense compromise, and then you've got this small group that is absolutely isolated, about 60 republicans in the house who have already signed a letter saying, under no circumstances will they vote for an increase in the debt limit, no matter what is in it. they are isolated by themselves, obstructionists. you cannot get to a deal unless you have some somebody to make a deal with and right now these extremist republicans will not even get into a room and negotiate. >> congressman, one of the reports out today says there was a $3 trillion propos

let's turn now to congressman steve israel. chairman of the democratic campaign committee. good to have you with us. i thought john boehner was very partisan, played the blame game, but let's go to the reid plan. do you think that has a chance and would you go along with the reid plan, what you know of it? >> well, i would support the reid plan, but i'll tell you, i'm skeptical. look, john boehner tonight, before he even presented his plan to his own republican caucus called rush limbaugh to get rush limbaugh's seal of approval for john boehner's plan. so how do you negotiate with a group of people when they believe that it is rush limbaugh who should decide the future of this country? how do you negotiate with a group of people who have closed the door, moved the goalpost, thrown these temper tantrums. this is just reckless endangerment of our economy, and it is time for these republicans to put the politics aside, stop the partisanship, come to the table, and do what is right for the middle class and this economy. >> what do you think john boehner meant about the comment

steve israel with us here on "the ed show." remember to answer tonight's question there on the bottom of the screen. i want to know what you think. we'll have much more on the president's speech coming up, including the progressive caucus response from congressman keith ellison and joan walsh and michael eric dyson are here tonight, will join us to discuss the bumpy road any debt ceiling legislation faces. that's all coming up. stay with us. but not your wrinkles. new neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair. its retinol formula smoothes wrinkles in just one week. why wait if you don't have to. neutrogena®. can be confusing... ♪ for most people, it's a game of chance. ♪ for dentists, the choice is clear. fact is, more dental professionals brush with an oral-b toothbrush than any other brush. so choose the brand more dentists use -- oral-b. trust the brush more dentists and hygienists use, oral-b. >>> coming up, progressives have often been stunned by some of the concession offered by president obama over the past week, especially those

steve israel with us here on "the ed show."ber to answer tonight's question there on the bottom of the screen. i want to know what you think. we'll have much more on the president's speech coming up, including the progressive caucus response from congressman keith ellison and joan walsh and michael eric dyson are here tonight, will join us to discuss the bumpy road any debt ceiling legislation faces. that's all coming up. stay with us. a summer vaycay. ooo. sounds pricey? nah, with the hotels.com summer sale, you can find awesome deals for places nearby. interesting... wow, i'm blown away. you look great. hotels.com summer sale, save up to 30%. and get a free kindle. hotels.com. be smart. book smart. can be confusing... ♪ for most people, it's a game of chance. ♪ for dentists, the choice is clear. fact is, more dental professionals brush with an oral-b toothbrush than any other brush. so choose the brand more dentists use -- oral-b. trust the brush more dentists and hygienists use, oral-b. >>> coming up, progressives have often

with us, steve israel, pennsylvania republican senator and jim kramer from cnbc. with we're going to be talking to bill burton, former deputy white house press secretary, david gregory, and we're going to be talking to chuck todd as well as the rest of our team. >>> good day, i'm andrea mitchell here in washington. as we sit here today jay carney is starting the white house briefing. let's go to jay and find out the latest from the white house. >> we are continuing to have conversations as we wait for the house to finish this business. >> two quick questions, is the president concerned the united states has already suffered lasting damage to its reputation with international investors? >> i would say that we are concerned because there is certainly evidence that the economy has suffered. because of the uncertainty created around this debate and the circus atmosphere of our politics around what should be a serious matter. we're talking about the thing that matters most to americans which is the health of our company and growth and create jobs. some damage has been

steve israel, chairman of the dccc and a democrat from new york and joins me now. congressman israel, i want to talk about where we are in these debt talks. it seems to me i've talked with democrats involved in it. they say they got close to an agreement on $1.5 trillion. reports republicans were up to $2 trillion and cuts. the sticking point is these, "revenues or taxes." what is the state of play as you understand it? you're the member of the house leadership? >> there is something that a republican member of congress and this democratic member of congress can agree on. and that is, that a republican freshman from upstate new york today said that the republicans are playing a dangerous game of chicken with the debt ceiling, and that is something i agree with. let's understand what these republicans have been doing. they want to end medicare, just introduced a bill to privatize associate security. they want to extend tax cuts for people making over $1 million. they want to spend $40 billion in corporate welfare for oil companies and are willing to bring down the e

. >>> we start with steve israel. he's the chairman of the dccc and a democrat from new york. there's a lot of he saids, he sads going on. yesterday senator chuck schumer speculated that republicans are trying to sabotage the economy to see president obama fail. let's listen to it. >> we need to start asking ourselves an uncomfortable question, are republicans slowing down the recovery on purpose for political gain in 2012? now it's becoming clear that insisting on a slash and burn approach may be part of this plan. it has a double benefit for republicans. it's idea logically tidy and undermines economic recovery which they think helps them in 2012. if the public comes to believe that republicans are deliberately sabotaging the economy, it will backfire politically. >> that is a harsh charge. that's a member of the democratic leadership arguably the second most powerful u.s. senator in the democratic controlled senate. do you agree with senator schumer there, congressman? >> the fact of the matter is even a republican economist, john mccain's economic advisor said today that i

social justice one some discontent a government policy it's a mass rallies planned for saturday steve israel journalist says her critics israel is edging closer to revolution two thirds of the poor in israel are working poor people who are working every day people who have a great job and still are not able to go above the poverty level so that's a reason that people are coming out of the street if you look at how the protests started it's almost identical to how it started in egypt and in tunisia and other places started through facebook somebody who made a post on facebook through social media that's how people organize or was organized completely in the beginning by the young people in his old student people who feel that they have no future people who feel who can't afford living here in it and i was realizing that this is not the way to go forward he's trying to figure out ways to deal with it because the government could definitely fall its role and these are ground and i think he is in danger especially that the protestants are growing while israel has been under building in tel aviv

host: we'll take a quick break, and our final guest this morning will be governor steve israel from new york. we will be discussing this debate. .

will open the floodgates for a whole host of legal claims to be made against the jewish state in steve israel says it will express its word grit for the loss of life now for the last few days almost round the clock israeli and turkish representatives have been meeting in new york to trying to hammer out some kind of agreement that is acceptable to both sides we understand that the sticking point is over the looting of the documents now no doubt both sides want to reach some kind of agreement quietly doing issuing this report because it will help in terms of we can see a shift it will be much harder for that we can see asian to be made after the report is issued but we do understand at this stage is that even the port said that week blockade is not illegal but it does criticize israel for excessive use. of course and you need to remember that that excessive use of force left nine turkish citizens on board the largest ship among the mamma did. a poll about what are the latest on this year's i mean it's been seriously happen hasn't it. it's it has been seriously hampered most of the shots on sch

telephone calls on this topic and then senator coburn will be with us followed by congressman steve israel. tony is up, a democrat. caller: good morning. i am so disgusted in the whole matter. over the past few months i am speechless. the president dragged this on all summer trying to get us to the brink. the brink. we always have to make decisions in a rush. he could have gone to -- he and joe biden, the moron in chief, came to this, and then boehner sits there and gives the vote. all they have to do is take the pressure away and then seriously call the president out to work this out. there is no work to be doing this thing. it is like a salesman coming to your house and telling you, "i can only make you the deal today." this is ridiculous. we have grown-ups that i don't know how they find their way to work in the morning. thank you. host: "the battle over reducing medicare's cost for prescription drugs flared up on capitol hill as lawmakers continued to debate cuts that could hinder the program's growth. democrats say drug prices are still higher here than in europe. herb kohl, wisconsin

steve israel from new york.er side. >> what's it going to take to get republicans and democrats on the sage page when it comes to deficit and debt ceiling. here to give us the gop perspective, congressman tom price of georgia, member of the house weighs and means committee, joins us live from atlanta. good to see you again. thank you for joining us. >> thank you. >> what is your sense, what have you heard about where these discussions are? didn't seem to be an awfully productive weekend. they're going back at it today. it does seem, though, when republicans and democrats go into these meetings, there's not a lot of movement. >> well, they're going to meet again today at the white house, as you mentioned and clearly we've got to move forward on this. >> yep. >> and what we believe strongly is that no tax increase is ever created a job. ultimately this is about job creation. we've got to do short-term things, decrease spending in the short-term, mid term things, spending cap so the government doesn't continue to i

steve israel and nancy pelosi are in charge of helping democrats win back the house next year. how they are planning to do that, they say they have got a three-part strategy, and it is this. medicare, medicare, and medicare. the republicans voting to kill medicare and democrats standing unambiguously to defend it in 2011 is the democrats' strongest political asset. if they now move to hurt medicare too, they will throw that asset away. so transactionally, no. politically, no. substantively, it is a waste. social security does not contribute to the deficit. what? no, it's true. it does not contribute to the deficit. robert rice, former secretary of labor, social security trustee, explains it as well as anyone. he says, until last year, social security took in more payroll taxes than it paid out in benefits. it lent the surpluses to the rest of the government. now that social security has started to pay out more than it takes in, social security can simply collect what the rest of the government owes it. this will keep it fully solvent for the next 26 years. you know how you pay

ironically read by congressman steve israel of new york. >> the validity of the public debt of the uniteddebts incurred for payment of pensions shall not be questioned. but neither the united states nor any state shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in eight of the insurrection or rebellion in the united states or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave. >> hey, righties, can you hear me now? if right wingers want to call themselves constitutional conservatives, they better pay attention to the entire document. if president obama invokes the 14th amendment as a last ditch solution to prevent the country from defaulting for the first time in history, i don't want to hear a word from the republican side of the aisle. >>> congressman paul brown of georgia, the guy who skipped president obama's state of the union so he could heckle him on twitter. he comes up with a dandy today. brown isn't voting for boehner's debt ceiling plan, because he has his own bill to lower the debt ceiling. he thinks it's easy to reign in spending. >> when someone is overdescended and brok

you have all these republican politicians like michele bachmann, steve israel, joe walsh, who argue then its loan so what's the real impact here? >> you know, s & p and moody's are saying not so fast, we won't let you escape on a technicality. they are basically saying you may pay your debt, you may pay bond holders but if you get out there and don't make payments like social security or anything else that we may not pay instead of paying bond holders, they will downgrade the debt anyway. it basically means it would be harder for the u.s. to borrow money in the future and also those who lent money to the u.s. would have to hold more capital on their books in order to make up for the fact the u.s. might default. it's bad. bottom line is not good news. >> okay. if we just default for say a couple days and then there's a deal to be done to raise the debt ceiling, does it still have the same impact? >> you know, basically, s & p and moody's are saying yes. yes. they're saying none of these short-term tricks that would get you over the finish line in the long term are going to help with your

we'll go behind the scenes on the last minute negotiations with senator from pennsylvania, steve israelan from wyoming. and jim kramer, how is wall street reacting and what is the treasury backup plan. plus who had the worst week in washington. i think it's all of us. "andrea mitchell reports" up "andrea mitchell reports" up next on msnbc.announcer ] anan anthis...is the netwo. a living, breathing intelligence that's helping drive the future of business. in here, inventory can be taught to learn. ♪ machines have a voice. ♪ medical history follows you. it's the at&t network -- a network of possibilities... committed to delivering the most advanced mobile broadband experience to help move business... forward. ♪ [ coughing continues ] [ gasping ] [ elevator bell dings, coughing continues ] [ female announcer ] congress can't ignore the facts: more air pollution means more childhood asthma attacks. [ coughing continues ] log on to lungusa.org and tell washington: don't weaken the clean air act. but when she got asthma, all i could do was worry ! specialists, lots of doctors, lots of advice.

nothing that israel ever does that's wrong and therefore the united states should support israel and the argument steve and i make in the book is from israel's point of view this is actually a foolish policy. a foolish policy from america's point of view but israel we argue is a normal country. like every other country in the world, israel sometimes pursues smart policies and sometimes it pursues the foolish policies. we have never seen a country in the history of the world that got it right every time. so our viewers when israel gets it wrong we ought to be able to criticize israel just like we criticize the united states when it gets it wrong with the special relationship prohibits you from doing that and to maintain that rather unusual relationship, which again is unhealthy for the united states but healthy for israel. you have to make sure there's no criticism in israel and this is what expense in good part while there's hardly any criticism in the mainstream media. >> was there in the spinning or lobbying and 48 when harry truman recognized israel? >> nope. i mean, there's a significant pressure b

steve israel, who chairs the democratic congressional compare committee, west thinks he can attack a respected legislator with this hate-filled screed. allen west has shown us his true colors. he as his own fund-raising e-mail, from allen west. her agenda isn't to improve the lives of floridians or stand on principle. she's an attack dog for the liberal progressive win, and it's times like this i need friends with me. please make a dough nay of $25 or more at my website right now. i don't remember a personal, bitter feud eye merging like this in a long time. do you? >> oh, yes. this is politics. >> where somebody called >> somebody called another member of congress vile? >> i heard a lot. they need to back down a little bit. >> he has not apologized. >> and he should. the dnc has a link. >> act like a lady even when they aren't. >>> are it's understandable why she got under his skin. republicans wanted to bring back jim crowe. alan west say black republican and you can accuse him of a lot of things. nevertheless -- >> they denied people the right to vote by voersing them to show a vo

. -- steve israel, i'm amazed they would try to do this.the big calling cards of the republicans in 2010 was about democrats try to cut medicare benefits. i do not think they did, but that was largely a premise. remember, they understand the american public, both parties with is protected. you need to go and tell them this. go and tell them. if you're on medicare or social security, if you depend on this, go to their office tomorrow and let them know this is how you feel because they are not getting at host:. who are supporting for president in 2012? guest: good question. i do not think anyone needs to commit to vote for anyone right now. there is a very long time between now and the election. i think elections are opportunities to encourage the people that you like to do the right thing. i encourage president obama to do the right thing. i encourage him not to cut social security and medicare benefits or means test and i encourage him not to start a commission with the purpose of cutting social security and medicare benefits. that is what

spending and debt limit talks by senator coburn, and a look at the efforts to win back the house with steve israel. "washington journal" begins live at 7 a.m. eastern time on c-span. >> what would that have been like to have met these people when you didn't know the ending? >> in the garden of the beast, erik larson. >> i looked to outsiders and americans and that's when i stumbled on the first ambassador. >> sunday night on c-span's "q & a." >> if you want to be informed about what is happening in the world, and particularly in the american congress, it's not hard. c-span has a digital archive back to 1979? >> 1987. >> where you can watch anything that happened in the house or senate chambers right there on your screen. there were sources of information that were unimaginable 20 years ago. >> the c-span library makes it easy to follow instant access, all searchable, and free, the e peabody library. >> it's the one-year anniversary of the dodd-frank financial regulations law. we'll hear from barney frank and ben bernanke, and several agencies, tim johnson chairs this two-hour hearing. >> good morn

note, i've worked in a bipartisan fashion with my colleagues, john shimkus, roscoe bartlett and steve israel to have -- introduce h.r. 5067. it would require all automobiles in 2014, 80% in 2016 and 95% in 2017 to be warranted to operate on nonpetroleum fuels in addition to or instead of petroleum-based fuels. compliance possibilities include the full array of existing text nolings, including flex fuel, natural gas, hydrogen, biodiesel, plug-in electric drive and a catch-all for new technologies. i mention it because it's similar to this, and i really believe that our energy policies can only be done in a bipartisan basis. i encourage my colleagues to support this amendment. again, as we've done on all the other bills that i've introduced it as we work to break our dependence on foreign oil and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back his time. is there further discussion on the amendment? for what purpose does the gentleman from florida rise? mr. young: mr. chairman, i move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. young: i think the gen

very briefly on a similar note, i've worked with my colleagues, john shimkus, roscoe bartlett and steve israel, to introduce the bipartisan open fuel standard act which is h.r. 1687. our bill would require 50% of all new automobiles in 2014, 80% in 2016 and 95% in 2017 to be warranted to operate on nonpetroleum fuels in addition to or instead of petroleum-based fuels. compliance possibilities include the full array of existing technologies including flex fuel, natural gas, hydrogen, biodiesel, plug-in electric drive and fuel cell and a catch-all for new technologies. so i encourage my colleagues to support this amendment and when we -- i certainly will. mr. frelinghuysen: we're prepared to accept your amendment and commend you for it. mr. engel: i thank the gentleman and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from new york. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. and the amendment is agreed to. for what purpose does the gentleman from washington seek r

. -- steve israel, i'm amazed they would try to do this. one of the big calling cards of the republicans in 2010 was about democrats try to cut medicare benefits. i do not think they did, but that was largely a premise. remember, they understand the american public, both parties with is protected. you need to go and tell them this. go and tell them. if you're on medicare or social security, if you depend on this, go to their office tomorrow and let them know this is how you feel because they are not getting at host:. who are supporting for president in 2012? guest: good question. i do not think anyone needs to commit to vote for anyone right now. there is a very long time between now and the election. i think elections are opportunities to encourage the people that you like to do the right thing. encourage president obama to do the right thing. i encourage him not to cut social security and medicare benefits or means test and i courage him not to start a commission with the purpose of cuttingocial security and medicare benefits. that is wha

steve r.t. reporting from warsaw in poland. israel has become the latest middle east country to see make sure white antigovernment protests for tens of thousands of demonstrations taking to the streets in major cities poses to say they'll demand that the prime minister benjamin netanyahu steps down and that undertakes sweeping economic reforms his policy is following developments to tell of the for the biggest rally took place all these early afternoon fifty thousand people here with the most popular chanting we demand for social justice a whole new way of speakers have been taking to the stage they've been calling on unity and message coming across very strong is one by one people here can bring change a lot of criticism being leveled at the israeli prime minister bibi netanyahu in fact if you try his name is mentioned. why are you here tonight i'm here because it's just becoming our city to live in this country anymore we work we give and we give and we keep on doing well and there's no end to this is a question as this is only you

israel. the argument steve and i make in the book is that from israel's point of view this is actually foolish policy, certainly a foolish policy from america's point of point of view but in israel we argue is a normal country. like every other country in the world is real sometimes pursues smart policy and sometimes a percy's foolish policy. we have never seen a country in the history of the world that got it right every time. so our view is that when israel gets it wrong, we ought to be able to criticize israel just like we criticize the united states when it gets it wrong. but the special relationship are habits you from doing that. and to maintain not rather unusual relationship, which again is not healthy for the united states and not healthy for and israel you have to make sure there's no criticism of israel. this is i think what explains in good part where there is hardly any criticism of israel and the mainstream media. >> host: was there any spending or lying in 1948 when harry truman medic nice israel? >> guest: no. i mean there was a significant pressure brought to bear on harry tru

area it steve was a soldier at the time and says the lebanese soldiers who helped israel were left behind almost like sitting ducks and. if we're soldiers knew little about a sleeping they for sure knew even less there was some sort of selection the commanders were brought here but i'm sure if you were to drive not much was done for you for. some seven thousand south lebanon army soldiers crossed it is wrong those who were left behind were tried jailed and sometimes killed as traitors for was nash and was one of those who got out alive he'd been working with israeli intelligence hoping to recruit live in the skies i did not want to run here i wanted to die fighting with the israeli intelligence almost forced me to cause i was told you know too much but the way they treat me now is a shame they forced me to run away and now they spit on my face six months ago i'm not a lawyer found for was living in a tent on the street it was hardly surviving on a few hundred dollars a month these weak government gave him i feel ashamed. in my country. dripping not only the case before was not jim but tol

steve: he's ready to drive the car. thank you very much. >> thanks for having me. >> gretchen: the tsa now taking a page from israel? ts and republicans out with new ads, but is america listening to what either side has to say. frank luntz reports and you will decide. >> gretchen: 3 doors down, warming up for the big performance with "it's not my time." ♪ oh, me too! but mine's lean cuisine, so no preservatives. [ female announcer ] lean cuisine has 90 dishes with no preservatives and quality ingredients like farm-picked broccoli and tender white meat chicken. lean cuisine. show me the carfax. oh yeah, can you show me the carfax? sunglass holder... for sunglasses. just show me the carfax. before you buy a used car, get a carx vehicle history report. see accidents and service reported to carfax and a price based on the car's history. free, at thousands of reputable dealers. just say, show me the carfax. >> clayton: welcome back. with everyone wanting to be heard during the debt showdown, who is getting their point across and whose message falling on deaf ears with the voters? joining me is frank luntz and he's got gre

part of and in the same time control all the resources of israel palestine he went to the army and so did your brother so what is different among steve and other israelis who participate in supporting and the rest of the society they grew up in a zionist home a two pilots family my brother and my father and. also when i went to the army itself to be an occupier an oppressor i always wanted liberty for everyone because this is what i grew up on in the army understood that we are speaking in one tongue and doing the other the other way around well we are in the territory we are not fighting for defending our home we're fighting to defend an elite jewish elite that wants to control this place and also not only the jewish elite but part of the jewish elite the secular specific issues that now is being taken by the religious one but after all it's not a fight for for freedom for us it's not a fight for. a for defending israel the fight in the occupation is to maintain the control over the palestinian people in order to maintain political strength and resources when you participated last year was there anything that surprised a not so surp

israel. this is insane. there's no way ever and prime minister netanyahu has made it very clear. that's not an option. but steveeresting poll that just came out this weekend in israel and this is a poll among 1,000 palestinians and what it shows is that 61% of the palestinians reject the idea of two people, two states. so if president obama thought he was losing jewish support to gain palestinian support, i got bad news for him. this recent poll that just came out breaking the papers here today in israel shows that it's not anymore popular with the palestinians than it is with the israelis. so now, i'm not sure where he goes from here other than to say that the proposals are definitely not being well received by anybody. >> no kidding. mr. huckabee, what are you doing in israel today? >> well, i'll be interviewing prime minister netanyahu for a special exclusive report that will air this weekend on "huckabee" and i'm also here to get some souvenirs for you and brian and molly. i'll bring those home later on. >> we can tell you when you buy this stuff at the airport. you have to actually go into the town itself

israel has to comply with this. >> thank you very much for your conversation and we will turn it over to steve now. [applause] >> let me thank them for getting us off to a tremendous start. not 500 questions here, but 37. we face a bit of a dilemma. begin either answer one question every 15 seconds, or i have tried to combine the questions. i hope we will understand if i do not get to all of them. i think it really is a testament to a level of interest that your visit generates that we have this number of questions to pose to you. there is an extraordinary focus right now on egypt, and from a certain level of concern in skepticism about some of the decisions and practices that have defined the work of this. california was very evident in the questions. you are used to facing tough situations and i hope that that spirit will continue as we began with some of the questions from the audience. a lot a star with a question -- i want to start with the question. we are always deferential, even when we are expressing sharp criticism. you do not need to be concerned about that. profs quandt ask about the co

israel has to comply with this. >> thank you very much for your conversation and we will turn it over to steve now. [applause] >> let me thank you for getting us off to a tremendous start. not 500 questions here, but 37. we face a bit of a dilemma. begin either answering one question every 15 seconds, or i have tried to combine the questions. i hope we will understand if i do not get to all of them. i think it really is a testament to a level of interest that your visit generates that we have this number of questions to pose to you. there is an extraordinary focus right now on egypt, and a certain level of concern and skepticism about some of the decisions and practices that have defined the work of this. -- the work of scaf. you are used to facing tough situations and i hope that that spirit will continue as we began with some of the questions from the audience. i want to start with the question. we are always deferential, even when we are expressing sharp criticism. you do not need to be concerned about that. professor quandt asked about the constitutional process. let me continue with another qu

. -- steve israel, i'm amazed they would try to do this. one of the big calling cards of the republicans in 2010 was about democrats try to cut medicare benefits. i do not think they did, but that was largely a premise. remember, they understand the american public, both parties with is protected. you need to go and tell them this. go and tell them. if you're on medicare or social security, if you depend on this, go to their office tomorrow and let them know this is how you feel because they are not getting at host:. who are supporting for president in 2012? guest: good question. i do not think anyone needs to commit to vote for anyone right now. there is a very long time between now and the election. i think elections are opportunities to encourage the people that you like to do the right thing. i encourage president obama to do the right thing. i encourage him not to cut social security and medicare benefits or means test and i encourage him not to start a commission with the purpose of cutting social security and medicare benefits. that