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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is pushing back hard against a Paul Ryan inspired Republican idea to cut both Social Security and Medicare next year.

In a statement Sen. Sanders (I-VT) responded to House Republicans who are already pushing for cuts in Medicare and Social Security, “At a time when poverty among seniors is increasing, and millions of elderly Americans lack sufficient income to buy the medicine or food they need, it would be a moral outrage for Congress to cut Social Security. In fact, instead of cutting Social Security benefits, we should be expanding them….I will also fight the Republican effort to end Medicare as we know it and convert it into a voucher program.”

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Sanders was responding to comments by incoming House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) that he will pursue cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Price’s blueprint is the Ryan budget which calls for $129 billion in cuts to Medicare.

What is being set up for 2015 is a fascinating battle between Bernie Sanders and Paul Ryan. With Sanders being elevated to the top Democratic seat on the Senate Budget Committee, the Vermont Independent will be in a position to challenge any cuts to Medicare and Social Security that the Republicans propose.

In 2012, Sen. Sanders called Rep. Ryan (R-WI) a class warrior for the wealthy, “I think clearly what Ryan is about is continuing the Republican effort to engage in class warfare. Who in their right minds could support a proposal which says more tax breaks for the wealthiest people and yet we’ll cut Medicare and Medicaid in drastic form.”

Earlier in 2014, Sanders called the Ryan budget vulgar and obscene, “The problem with the Ryan Budget is that it is so vulgar, so obscene, so out of touch with what the American people want and need that it is literally hard to believe, hard to believe. The richest people in this country are doing phenomenally well. The Ryan budget substantially lowers taxes for millionaires and billionaires. Working families and low-income people are struggling. The Ryan budget makes savage cuts in nutrition programs, in education and healthcare. It does exactly the opposite of what the American people need, and what the American people want, and as you indicated, this is a continuation of the war against the middle class and working families that the Republican Party has been mounting and fighting for a number of years now.”

It appears that Harry Reid promoted Sanders to the budget committee for the purpose of taking on Paul Ryan and the other Ayn Rand followers who are dreaming of killing beloved and needed social programs. The promotion Sanders to Budget Committee was the beginning of a nightmare for Republicans.

Republicans can dream of cuts to Medicare and Social Security, but the fact is that Bernie Sanders and the Democrats will continue to stand in their way.