Cresent Hardy doubled down yesterday on his promise to cut Social Security and Medicare by raising the retirement age to 75.  Hardy supported Donald Trump’s budget proposal that would cut Social Security and Medicare to offset additional tax cuts for the wealthy. Hardy has said that with Trump’s proposals, “we’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg” of what he would support.

In an interview with KNPR this week, Cresent Hardy claimed to be concerned about the increasing deficit run up by the Trump administration, but he failed to mention that the massive increases in the deficit are largely due to a policy he supported — tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires. The deficit under the Trump administration has risen to $779 billion, a 17% increase over last year.  While the deficit is a problem for all Americans, the benefits of the tax cut are not evenly distributed. More than 80% of the financial benefits of the tax cut go to the top 1% of income earners. Hardy was a vocal advocate for the GOP tax plan, but he said that “we can go further” in additional deficit-fueling cuts for the wealthy and big corporations.

Hardy has consistently sided with special interests, corporations and billionaires against the needs of Nevada families:

• Hardy repeatedly voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would have stripped away protections for pre-existing conditions.
• Hardy supported cuts to Medicare and backed increasing the Social Security retirement age to 75.
• Hardy introduced legislation to strip workers of overtime pay.
• Hardy fought to cut pensions and retirement security for workers, even though he took a public pension while holding political office.
• Hardy repeatedly voted against paid sick leave protection for workers.

 

Nevada State Democratic Party spokesperson Michael Soneff released the following statement:

“Cresent Hardy has supported the reckless and fiscally irresponsible policies of this administration, while supporting cuts to vital services for working people to pay for giveaways to corporations and billionaires. Hardy has committed his political career to fighting for special interests and corporations over the interests of working Nevadans, and this campaign is yet more evidence of that commitment. Nevadans deserve better than Hardy. Steven Horsford will put the needs of working families first, and fight for all Nevadans in Congress.”

 

###