Asked for Biden's Plan to Keep Social Security and Medicare Solvent, Jean-Pierre Attacks 'MAGA Republicans' (January 20, 2023)

Social Security and Medicare are running out of money, and a reporter wanted to know what President Joe Biden planned to do about it. “Does the President have a plan to ensure that Social Security and Medicare will remain solvent in the future? This is now the halfway point of his administration,” the reporter asked [1].

“The President’s plan is that he’s going to protect Social Security, he is going to protect Medicare,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre answered [1]. She did not describe a plan. She attacked Republicans instead [1].

The video above shows the exchange from the Jan. 20, 2023, White House briefing. Quotes are from the official transcript published by the American Presidency Project [1].

”Not Offering His Own Specific Plan”

The reporter came armed with a nonpartisan critique. “The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said in the fall that what the President was arguing in the lead-up to the midterms was that Republicans would cut Social Security, cut Medicare, but the President was not offering his own specific plan for how to ensure the stability of those programs,” the reporter said. “There were a few sentences on the campaign website three years ago” [1].

Jean-Pierre answered with politics. The White House, she said, was “going to continue to call out Republicans who are threatening — they are threatening to force cuts on Social Security, on Medicare, and critical programs that benefit everyday Americans because they want to play this political gamesmanship” [1].

“This is something that Americans have paid into, and Republicans want to cut that,” she said [1].

”When Is He Going to Lay Out a Specific Plan?”

The reporter tried again, this time with a deadline. “What they say is that Medicare, in three to five years, will not be able to meet all its obligations; Social Security, 12 years, will not be able to meet all of its obligations. The President has been president for two years. He hopes to be president for six more years. When is he going to lay out a specific plan? Will we hear it at the State of the Union? Will it come in 2023?” [1]

Jean-Pierre went back to the debt ceiling fight. “And when you have a — you know, these MAGA Republicans in the House who are saying they’re going to hold the debt ceiling unless those things are cut, that is — that is a problem. That is not how this works,” she said [1].

She cited history, “I mentioned 78 times that this — that the debt ceiling has been dealt with 3 times — 3 times in the last administration,” and quoted Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell: “America must never default on its debt. It never has, and never will.” [1]

She did not say when Biden would offer a plan [1].

”A Snub of Speaker McCarthy?”

Earlier, reporters had asked why Biden had not yet met with the new Republican speaker, Kevin McCarthy. “So, isn’t it customary to have a meeting with the Speaker in the first week of Congress returning? Is this, in effect, a snub of Speaker McCarthy?” a reporter asked [1].

“No, look, the President is looking forward to meeting with Speaker McCarthy. We are. I’m just — don’t have a date to share with all of you at this time,” Jean-Pierre said. On the debt limit, she said, “It should not be used as a political football” [1].

”Are You Still Fit for This Job?”

The briefing ended abruptly. “Karine, the President is about to speak,” a White House aide said. “Oh, he is? I’m so sorry, guys. The President is about to speak. I can’t step on the President,” Jean-Pierre said [1].

As she left, a reporter called out: “Are you — are you still fit for this job? With your performance last week, are you still fit for the job of Press Secretary?” Another called, “Happy Friday!” Jean-Pierre’s last words on the record: “Happy Friday, guys” [1].

”Layoffs Remain Record Low”

A reporter asked about a wave of layoffs. “Does the President have any concern about the number of job cuts that are happening in the tech sector? Alphabet announced — that’s Google’s parent company, obviously — announced 12,000 job cuts today. That follows Microsoft earlier this week, following several thousand from last year as well.” [1]

“So, of course, we watch very closely when we hear these types of reports of Americans losing jobs,” Jean-Pierre said. “Layoffs remain record low.” [1]

“So, leading analysts have publicly stated that they do not believe the recent layoffs in the tech industry are indicative of trends in the broader economy,” she said [1].

”I May Have Been Talking About Something Else”

A reporter Jean-Pierre called Christina asked about migrants already in the country. “I was just wondering if the administration is considering any help or relief for thousands of immigrants that were paroled into this country before the agreement to the 30,000 a month. They’re here. They don’t have jobs,” the reporter said [1].

“So, a couple of things. I’m not sure what executive action. I think I was talking about — I may have been talking about something else. I’m not quite sure,” Jean-Pierre said. “Yeah, you were,” the reporter answered [1].

Jean-Pierre said those who came before the new program “remain in immigration enforcement proceders [sic] — procedures under Title 8.” She added: “If they don’t, they will be subjected to removal as required by law.” Then she turned on the GOP, saying Biden “needs Congress, especially Republicans in Congress, to stop doing political stunts.” [1]

By the Numbers

2 years: how long Biden had been president when the reporter asked for a plan [1].
12 years: how long until Social Security could not meet all its obligations, as the reporter put it [1].
78: times the debt ceiling had been dealt with, according to Jean-Pierre [1].
12,000: job cuts Alphabet announced that day, per the reporter [1].
5%: the Medicare tax rate Biden later proposed on income above $400,000, up from 3.8% [2].
78%: share of scheduled benefits Social Security’s retirement fund could pay once its reserves run out, under the 2026 trustees’ report [3].
$6,000: the new tax deduction for seniors in the 2025 law Trump signed [4].

What Happened Next

Biden’s Medicare plan was a tax hike. About seven weeks later, on March 7, 2023, the White House released Biden’s budget plan for Medicare. “The Budget proposes to increase the Medicare tax rate on earned and unearned income above $400,000 from 3.8 percent to 5 percent,” the fact sheet said [2].

The clock kept ticking. The trustees’ 2026 reports project that Social Security’s retirement fund “will be able to pay 100 percent of total scheduled benefits until the fourth quarter of 2032,” after which income would cover 78 percent. Medicare’s hospital fund is projected to last “until the second quarter of 2033” [3].

Trump cut taxes for seniors. On July 4, 2025, Trump signed Public Law 119-21. For tax years beginning before Jan. 1, 2029, it allows “a deduction in an amount equal to $6,000 for each qualified individual,” meaning taxpayers who have “attained age 65” [4].

For how the debt-limit fight ended, see HYGO News’ page on Biden’s “B-I-L-L-I-O-N”. For more from Jean-Pierre’s podium, see the Karine Jean-Pierre record page.