From Bad to Worse: Wisconsin Rep. Reid Ribble Calls for Cuts to Social Security in Exchange for Federal Fiscal Deal
Congressional Representative Whose Businesses Paid No Taxes For a Decade Wants to Cut Retiree Benefits as Part of Long-Term U.S. Debt Deal
MADISON, Wis. — In a letter to U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner dated October 8th, U.S. Representative Reid Ribble advocates for using the Tea Party driven government shutdown he has voted for as a means to attack Social Security benefits for retirees.
One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross commented, “Rep. Ribble’s support for the Tea Party driven government shutdown is ridiculous on its own. But to suggest that we ought to hold the government’s ability to pay bills hostage for cuts to Social Security benefits for our nation’s seniors is an outrage.”
In the letter, available here, Ribble suggests linking regressive policies that would cut benefits for Social Security recipients “as part of the current fiscal discussions.” Ribble goes on to advocate for upping the retirement age and cutting retiree benefits by changing the formula used to calculate payments.
Ross noted that adding insult to injury One Wisconsin Now previously reported that its review of Wisconsin Department of Revenue records showed that Ribble’s business, The Ribble Group, Inc., paid no Wisconsin state income taxes from 2001 through 2011.