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Sanders calls out Trump: He’s a liar if he cuts Medicare, Social Security

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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) Wednesday called on President-elect Donald Trump to announce he would veto any legislation to cut Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security, or admit that he “lied” to the American people.

“Let me quote somebody who I suspect I will not often be quoting,” Sanders said while speaking on planned GOP changes to ObamaCare alongside other lawmakers. “On May 7, 2015, Donald Trump tweeted, ‘I was the first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid.’ Now the point is Trump didn’t just say this in passing; this was a cornerstone of his campaign. He said it over and over and over again.”

“Therefore, one of two things are true,” Sanders continued. “Either Donald Trump simply lied to the elderly and the working people of this country and just made campaign promises that he had no intention of keeping, or right now, before Congress wastes an enormous amount of time, Donald Trump has got to come forward — maybe through one of his tweets — and say clearly that Donald Trump will veto any legislation that cuts Medicare, that cuts Medicaid, or that cuts Social Security.”  

{mosads}Sanders’s call for Trump to veto such legislation follows a visit from President Obama to Capitol Hill on preserving ObamaCare and a concurrent announcement from the Trump team that the president-elect would start working to get rid of it on the first day of his administration.

Last month, top Democrats in the House and Senate penned a letter asking Congress to oppose the Republican budget plan and fight the Trump administration on such cuts.

“Millions of Americans voted for Donald Trump after he promised not to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. He must be held to his promises and should veto any legislation which cuts these vital and necessary health programs,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), Sanders and new Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) wrote in the December letter.

Sanders has continued to speak out on healthcare since the election, preparing for Trump’s inauguration and his future policies. The former Democratic presidential candidate is set to appear Monday in a CNN town hall to discuss important issues over the next four years.

Tags Bernie Sanders Chuck Schumer Donald Trump

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