Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) alleged that President Joe Biden spurned meeting requests on Social Security reforms from a bipartisan group of senators during a tense hearing Thursday.
Cassidy made the claim while grilling Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen about Biden's lack of plans to shore up Social Security in his sweeping $6.9 trillion budget proposal that featured a suite of tax hikes. Yellen maintained that Biden "stands ready to work with Congress" on the issue during a Senate Committee on Finance hearing.
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"That's a lie because when a bipartisan group of senators has repeatedly requested to meet with him about Social [Security] so that somebody who is a current beneficiary will not see her benefits cut by 24%, we have not heard anything on our request," Cassidy shot back. "We have made multiple requests to meet with the president."
Biden has routinely needled Republicans over Social Security, suggesting they want to slash money for the program. During his State of the Union address, for instance, he insisted “some Republicans” want “Medicare and Social Security to sunset.”
His budget proposal last week bolstered spending for Medicare, but Cassidy countered that Biden's budget lacked a plan for Social Security, which is projected to run into insolvency. The measure appears dead on arrival in Congress.
"Of the 4.5 trillion in taxes he has proposed, not a dime is going to shore up Social Security," the Louisiana senator said. "Now, this is incredibly worrisome from a president who should be sympathetic with someone, who under current law, is going to get a 24% cut."
"The president is completely committed to protecting seniors who rely on Social Security," the treasury secretary said.
Republicans have roundly panned Biden's budget proposal, which features a slew of progressive wish-list proposals, including a revival of "Build Back Better" agenda items such as prescription drug reform, child care spending, community college funding, and more. The budget would be funded by a myriad of tax increase measures, including on capital gains, billionaires, and corporations.
The White House estimates the budget plan would reduce the deficit by $2.9 trillion by 2033.
After the exchange, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) weighed in on the exchange.
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"I would just caution colleagues, we've got plenty of differences around here, but accusing witnesses of lying is over the line," he said.
"I did not mean that for the madam secretary, who was merely saying that what she's been told. I'm saying for an empiric observation," Cassidy said.