the president himself has said that the drivers of our debt are medicare, medicaid and health care. nothing else comes close. so to me what we really have to focus on is that duty, and that is to find programs -- find a way to reform medicare and medicaid and our health care programs to get good retirement security and health security for our seniors at a cost that doesn't bankrupt our children. >> you want structural change in those programs. >> frankly, if we don't find structural change, we will fail in our duty. now, let me focus on our goal. we have a goal of reaching $1.5 trillion of deficit reduction over ten years, but it is important to note that if that goal, for some reason, we fail in that goal, under law, there is still a $1.2 trillion of deficit reduction that will take place, albeit -- >> there's lots of people trying to get around that saying it is too much, particularly the defense side, to do across the board cuts. >> it is not exactly across the board. frankly, it affects disproportionately impacts national defense in a way that even the secretary of defense says w

on the chopping block, medicare, medicaid and pentagon budget.aid that he'll veto efforts to undo the cuts. effort he said already in the works. >> no easy off-ramps on this one. >> reporter: the markets closed down sharply monday. the public also had little hope. an abc news/"washington post" poll last month, found that three quarters of americans believed the super committee would fail to reach a deal. president obama will not let up on pressure to compromise. he said congress still has a lot of work to do before the end of the year but there is still time to get something done for the american people. rob, sunny. >> i think folks are so fed up with political gridlock on capitol hill. discouraging on so many levels. not just an american problem. it is having an impact around the globe. asian stock markets across the board, opened the day lower. wasn't too dramatic. feeling the heat off this because of what is going on in washington. >> i think it is remarkable, 3/4 of americans already disapprove of what congress is doing. apparently lowest in

they do not believe in social security, medicare, medicaid, clean air, clean water, public legislation -- [cheers and applause] -- there are some. >> jon: they would somewhat disagree with that characterization. >> maybe some of them would. but i'm not painting them with all with the same brush. a significant number of them will use the debt that we all want to reduce the debt. it's a legitimate concern we have. quite frankly if they cared about the debt they would have squawked when president bush was amassing it. >> jon: no question there. >> some of them will try to use the debt as an excuse to eliminate the public space, all the things i just talked b. what i would like to see -- what is the point. the point is now to say to the 12 people on supercommittee get in a room, sit down, reach agreement on public television. let's have this transparency and open meeting where we see everybody's proposals and suggestions on the table, an explanation of them, what they would mean, to not that table but the kitchen table of all of america's families. >> jon: thank. this is where it'súib diff

obama has said, quote, the major driver of our long-term liabilities, everybody knows it, is medicare and medicaid and our health care spending, nothing comes close, unquote. i agree. the president has also said, quote, if you look at the numbers, then medicare in particular will run out of money and we will not be able to sustain that program no matter how much taxes go up. it's not an option for us to just sit by and do nothing, unquote, again, i agree. this takes us to the charge of the joint select committee on deficit reduction. i have many hopes. i hope we were able to bring about progrowth tax reform in order to bring about more revenue. i hope we're able to prioritize spending as families and small businesses do every day. i hope we're able to reform many different programs to make them more efficient and effective but in order to succeed, i know this committee must be primarily about the business of saving and reforming social safety net programs that are not only failing many beneficiaries but going broke at the same time. i approach our task with a profound sense of urgency, high hopes

we've got to destroy social security, medicare, medicaid.e've got to cut back on education, the environmental -- >> and it's not even fiscally sound, senator. let me show you. when they talk about where we're doing this reduce the deficit, if you just reduce the corporate jet tax loop hole, you would generate $460 million a year. if you cut the wasteful spending programs they're proposing you'd only cut $456 million a year. if they really were just talking numbers and deficit, they would really cut more by just closing the corporate debt tax loop holes than programs that they're talking about are wasteful which you and i would argue are not wasteful atd all. it doesn't even make mathematical sense what they're saying. >> you're right, al. what is very, very interesting, al, is that all across the country the american people are coming together on what a sensible deficit reduction plan is about. and all of the polls say the exact same thing. the american people whether they are republicans, democrats, independents, conservatives, progressives

the last issue is protecting social security, medicare, and medicaid. those are essential. we are allowing medicare and medicaid to negotiate drug prices, and that brings tremendous savings to that system. lifting the social security payroll tax cap would create additional support for that trust fund for the future. i think the three parts of this legislation are intended to create jobs, fairness in taxation, generate revenue, and make sure essential programs are not put on the chopping block as the only source in which we can deal with deficit reduction. there are other areas. we want a fair shot of presenting that. i really believe the american people look and compare and contrast the public opinion. >> you would have $5.70 trillion in savings with the program you are proposing. are you assuming that all the bush tax cuts would expire at the end of next year? >> the 5.7 i am talking about is a generation of revenue now. the 3.7 or so that would be saved from the bush tax cuts would be additional to that amount. we did not factor in because it is not a solid amount that we

talk to people on social security, medicare, medicaid.k to the kids out there getting pell grants to enable them to be able to go to college. are there government programs which are wasteful? you bet there are. we recently did a study that shows -- what was it? 37 of the top 100 defense contractors were involved in fraud. they were either found guilty of fraud or reached a settlement after charges were brought against them. the top three paid fines in hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars. do we need to make the federal government more cost-effective and more responsive to people? absolutely. but to simply say let's get rid of social security, medicare, and medicaid -- the senator does not agree with that. host: democrat from virginia. good morning. caller: i hate to say this, because i am for obama, but the point is what needs to be done so that the republicans will stop acting like little come crying children. from the mayor on up to the president, you do not need to get paid. you do not need a salary. you do not need everything

you just mentioned medicare/medicaid.alk more about the political difficulty in cutting the cost of mecare. the idea that your bipartisan policy center t forth that both pre serves traditional medicare but also caps the growth of mecare to save money. how do you do it? >> well, we would preserve as you say, traditional medicare. everybody could stay in it if they wanted to, but we would also offerer competitive biddin on an exchange, and seniors would have a choice between ststaying in a traditional planr going to the exchange and picking a plan that would offer theame benefits, a a plan th would have to t take you, guaranteed access. we think it's the best of both worlds. it has the opportunity for competitition to drive down the costs and make health care more efficient, but it preserves traditional medicare at the same time. >> congressional approval, alice, the rating is at an almost laughable 9%. i mean, 9% of the country approves its congress. is it too late for them to slog past the polics and come up with a bold s

, we will simply have shifted the expense of health care in medicare-medicaid to those who use health care to medicare-medicate, our seniors and disabled. because the reality is that today the cost of health care under medicare is growing slower than the cost of health care in the private insurance market. we went through that in the commission.son if he were to get rid of medicare and put it into the private sector insurance market, they would end up being more because the costs of private insurance is growing at a faster clip than is medicare-medicaid. how do we corral the cost of health care, which includes medicare-medicaid, so we do not end up just shifting costs from the people, the tax pa yers, o ur seniors who are now retired. if you could give that some thought, that would be instructive. the health reform of last year tried to do this, to help corral the cost in the private sector. if we do not do something about overall health care costs, simply telling seniors they will end up paying more in medicare does not help with our health care costs. thank you for your servi

do not want to see medicare cut, medicaid cut or social security cut. that is very clear. >> reporter: the supercommittee deadline may be on wednesday, but they are required by law to come up with a blueprint by monday so that all the members of the supercommittee can review it before they vote. scott? >> pelley: they'll be working the weekend. thank you very much, nancy. in an important opening today, the president said he will send the secretary of state to one of the few countries on earth that the u.s. has refused to deal with. next door to thailand, the country calls its myanmar, but relations are so bad the u.s. government still calls it by its old name, burma. a brutal military dictatorship has had a great there since the 1960s, but a new ruler has begun easing some of myanmar's oppressive policies. there is another dictatorship that the president wants to see overthrown. that of bashar al-assad in syria. assad has been killing civilians, perhaps thousands of them, after an uprising started eight months ago. our chief white house correspondent no

defense, medicare, medicaids it's not going to happen until after the election in 2013. t pre american's feelings about this saying congress needs do its job. >>> hundreds of people turned in guns for money to fill tanks. a program to get tabuns the streets. drive up, happened over your weapon and get a circle k gas u coupon. people got $300 in gas cash. smaller guns were exchanged for $50. >> people that don't want -- that are afraid to bring the guns in, this çjdrway without questions, bring them in. >> it ok> turn the guns in. no questions asked. the city uses the money seized off of the streets along with donations from ]&ww+éu1úpzhci to fund the project. >>> why one marine was the luckiest guy at the ball this weekend. he had a hot date. and america's sweetheart is turning 90. how betty white plans to bring in the day. to new york sg.ixfor a check of bites. word gst8of k[zçcaution for an phone users, internet security umber of infected android apps increased almost 500%, since july. almost all new mobile malware is

. >> automatic cuts will touch both parties sacred cows -- medicare medicaid, and defense. there were unable to find their own way to cut $1.20 trillion of the next decade. the white house, and those gunning for it will skewer congress for their lack of progress. >> behalf to the things that american families do every day which is live within their means and tickers liability for their own actions. >> if you want to run the country like a 16 year-old with your first credit card, you keep giving things away that you have to borrow. >> those triggered cuts will take effect in january 2013. that gives congress plenty of time come if they choose, to try to find a way to rewrite the bill. president obama made it very clear he will not let them out of the responsibility. it would do nothing to ease a very worried wall street which suffered a big drop again today. >> thank you, scott thuman. the failure of the super committee sent the market way down. no surprise. the dow down 248 points finishing the day at 11,547. >>> you can stay up-to-date with developments on wjla.com and twi

. >> if we continue to say we can get this done without touching medicare, medicaid, social security, defense, just give them the course/. there is a tipping -point come- -- give them the horse lash. it will come from the market that says this is a dysfunctional political system in the united states. the guy who gets hurt the most is the one they all talk about and moan about, the little guy. >> as members of congress continue to deliberate, he looks further afield at other countries grappling with similar issues. this was before the debt crisis began to affect france. >> if they do not recognize the importance of just doing a plan, why is it that the markets germany or england or france. we do not have a plan. >> alan simpson spent 18 years in the senate, a time when things were done differently. he says he despairs of a political culture that concentrates on scoring points and not tackling issues. >> what can we do to screw the democrat party or the republican party or dump something on obama that he will have to veto. they push one in there with the taxes on the rich. it is not fun

on the chopping block, medicare, medicaid and the pentagon budget. partisan bickering has this congress stuck in neutral. >> if they will give up insistence of the bush tax cuts we can get this done. >> there's a group that will not cut a dollar unless we also raise taxes. >> reporter: markets opened down sharply. analysts said wall street had been bracing for the super committee to fail. >> because wall street has such low expectation there is hasn't been any real thought that they would get a deal done. >> reporter: the public also had little hope. a poll last month found 3/4 of americans believe the super committee would fail to reach a deal. >> put the politics aside. >> reporter: few members of the committee even on capitol hill this morning. aides say there are conversations still going on. there's just little optimism they will reach a deal. karen travers, abc news washington. >> the president signed a bill into through that could make it easier for vets to fan a pwraefpblgt tax breaks for -- to find -- mr. obama says the bill will help 850,00

on the chopping block, medicare, medicaid and the pentagon budget. partisan bickering has this congress stuck in neutral. >> if they will give up insistence of the bush tax cuts we can get this done. >> there's a group that will not cut a dollar unless we also raise taxes. >> reporter: markets opened down sharply. analysts said wall street had been bracing for the super committee to fail. >> because wall street has such low expectation there is hasn't been any real thought that they would get a deal done. >> reporter: the public also had little hope. a poll last month found 3/4 of americans believe the super committee would fail to reach a deal. >> put the politics aside. >> reporter: few members of the committee even on capitol hill this morning. aides say there are conversations still going on. there's just little optimism they will reach a deal. karen travers, abc news washington. >> the president signed a bill into through that could make it easier for vets to fan a pwraefpblgt tax breaks for -- to find -- mr. obama says the bill will help 850,00

but if you look at how much money we are spending on medicare, not to even mention medicaid, look at how much we are spending on medicare and you look at the number of households we have around 17.5 million medicare households -- this is from 2009, you divide that into the amount of money that we're spending -- federal government spending on medicare, not even medicaid, just medicare, we're spending right at $30,000 for every household for somebody on medicare, $30,000? now, for someone who has bad heart problems or some kind of chronic disease, that's not so bad when you consider with all kinds of treatments and medicines they're getting. that's if you look at the bills that are sent out. if you look at the amount of actual money that are paid for those procedures, actually paid or reimbursed by insurance companies or the government, it's not near that much for most households, even most households on medicare. that's why i was shocked not too distant past to find out that in one situation that i'm aware of personally, when there was $10,000 between the -- $10,000 in bills between th

the center for medicare and medicaid services does paper. when they started going to macarthur park dietz, they met with the pharmacist. -- to medicare part d, they met with the pharmacist. everything in the pharmacy is electronic. they said, "how are we going to get you guys to go back to paper?" you have a crook who stays until 8:00 or 9:00 at night with an ipad, competing with a bureaucrat who is using five -- who is going home at 5:00 and using paper. the major inhibitor to change is the center for medicaid services, which is an inherently obstructive paper-based bureaucracy that stops us from getting into a better future. [applause] >> i would like to bring up an issue by the current governor of georgia. the eligibility standards for medicaid -- those eligibility standards were significantly eroded by actions that were initiated by then-speaker pelosi. i mentioned in my remarks how they set up a requirement for citizenship which included a birth certificate and other identifying documents. it has now been reduced to attesting to a nine d

even the democratic plan called for about $500 billion from healthcare, medicare cuts for medicaid.t: for the elderly and the poor. guest: right. there are different gimmicks that you can do immediately, but we are talking about reductions. maybe some caps on for a certain amount of years and how much benefits are. host: the former deficit proposal put forward by the likes of alan simpson, when they worked on the bipartisan deficit commission, they will be tough to find today before the super- committee. live coverage on c-span 3 and c- span radio. we will also hear from others with it their own deficit reduction proposals. we also touched on what the leadership is saying about the super committee. john boehner talked about it yesterday. here is what he had to say. >> patricia murray, could not be more different from a democrat, ideologically. but none of them are going to compromise on their principles. but i believe that they share a commitment to find solutions, finding those areas of overlap between the parties, like getting this job done. common ground. without compromising our

except ryan wants to destroy medicare, medicaid, and social security in order to protect the top 1%.f he's worried about a man pitting people against people and person against person, maybe he ought to look in the mirror. that kind of tea party-infused resentment showed up at a meeting of campaign volunteers in massachusetts. senate candidate elizabeth warren was addressing the group when she was interrupted by a tea party supporter. listen. >> i've been out of work since february of 2010. and i understand that you, according to several -- and i think i saw you on television taking credit for the occupy wall street movement. is that true? >> sir -- >> you want him to sit down? >> no, it's all right. >> let me say two things. i'm very sorry that you've been out of work. i'm also very sorry that the recent jobs bill that would have brought 22,000 jobs to massachusetts did not pass in the senate. [ applause ] >> i also want to say about occupy wall street, i've been protesting what's been going on on wall street for a very long time. it is an independent and organic movement. they must,

host: according to the congressional budget office, the projection for medicare and medicaid -- medicarethe light green color. medicaid is the dark green color. this is the line for 2010. you can see where it goes from there. if congress were to come to some sort of deal on medicare and the coming weeks or months and they were to put forward a premium support deal like we talked about, is your organization prepared to spend another $2 million to try to influence congress to stop them from doing some sort of deal? guest: i do not know if we would spend $2 million. that's a lot of money for us. we would definitely do everything within our power to oppose premium support or voucher-izing the program. i think the voices of the american people were heard loud and clear in the last three months. i am hoping that members of congress will heed the warnings that were issued by our group and other groups. just a comment on your chart. yes, it is accurate, i did not look at it carefully, but the cost of these programs are skyrocketing. but problem is not medicare and medicaid. the problem is health

republicans as part of their budget proposal have made it clear, they want to cut medicare, medicaid and social security. by requiring a balanced budget these programs would be directly on the chopping block. according to the center on budget and policy priorities, this amendment could force congress to cut all programs by an average of 17.3% by 2018. if revenues are not raised, medicare could be cut by $750 billion. democrats have balanced the budget before and we will do it again without harming the economy. this amendment is nothing more than a republican political diversion and i urge my colleagues to vote no. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentlelady has expired. the gentleman from texas. mr. smith: i yield 1 1/2 minutes to the gentleman from texas. mr. fortenberry: i don't take the issue lightly of amending our constitution which has endured through strife and dramatic historical shifts. the constitutional amendments should be exceedingly rare. as they have the power to spur sweeping change. but i do believe it is necessary that the same process that guaranteed our ha

medicaid, medicare and social security. any democrat onboard with cuts to social security, you have a new political enemy. you're looking at him. it's the guy that does the 8:00 on msnbc. i will not let the democrats off the hook on this. just like we listed the senators who voted against the jobs package, we're going to put the democrats who are turning on the party platform, turning on what the american people want. we need to draw a line in the sand and let the democrats know you're going to be vulnerable, too. this is about people. not party. this is about what's right for america. and there are no polls out there supporting any cuts to social security, medicare or medicaid. all this washington speech these guys are going out on the road making these speeches saying you know, i know and president obama knows. what about the people? did you notice how john boehner in the sound bite never mentioned, it's the american people. we have to matter. we have to matter. we call the shots. joining me now is senator bernie sanders

. >> we are not going to accept social security, medicare and medicaid cuts.not going to abandon seniors and children. >> aarp argues that congress should bring down healthcare costs before it considers changes. >> the debate we are having in congress now is not about holding down healthcare costs. we think the real debate has to be lowering healthcare costs, not simply shifting the cost to somebody else. >> with the baby boomers retiring the federal government promised tens of trillions more in benefit than it can pay for. jim martin runs a group that takes a different view from aarp, which he advertises, and martin advocates careful reforms to keep the program sol vent. >> the fact is with more going on the rolls, there isn't enough money to go around to provide the services we need. unless we reform the system. >> that is why the super committee has been looking at modest changes to entitlements. >> even the president said the major drivers of our debt are medicare, medicaid, and healthcare. nothing else comes close. >> budget talks argue something has to b