We are all aware by now that the recent tax bill is likely to add significantly to the federal deficit, some believe it will add as much as 1 trillion dollars.  As a nation we are now shifting our focus to talk about how to address the deficit.  Do we raise taxes, after we just lowered them?  What taxes do we cut and how do we do it?  Do we cut programs?  Remove entire programs, do an audit of duplicated efforts, or any other method of cutting money from existing and planned spending?

When Congressman Paul Ryan (WI-R), Speaker of the US House of Representatives, was asked about the impact of the recent tax cuts on the deficit he replies that the way to deal with the deficit “is through entitlement reform.”  Although Senator Mitch McConnell (KY-R), Senate Majority Leader, has said that it is not likely on the agenda next year, that is not the response we are looking for.

There are three major entitlement programs Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.  Looking at the most recent numbers of Americans covered there are 70 million Americans receiving Medicaid, 52 million Americans receiving Medicare and 56 million Americans receiving Social Security.  Granted there is considerable overlap among these numbers.  However, it is not a stretch to say that for those Americans receiving both Medicare and Social Security, these benefits make all the difference in the world for them, for many it is the difference between life and death.  As always, our politicians like to take the easy way out and go after the largest programs rather than making the complicated decisions and cut the many pork projects that are daily funded by our government.