Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who represents the Democrats on the Budget Committee, is vowing to fight efforts by Republicans to prevent money dedicated to paying retirement benefits from being shifted to the disabled.
Sanders says that a recent move by House Republicans could lead to a 20 percent cut in Social Security disability benefits for 11 million people.
Republicans say shifting retirement benefits to the disabled amounts to a "raid" on the much larger pension program. They say lawmakers need to step in and fix the disability shortfall rather than shift money around.
The disability program is on track to go into the red next year unless Washington steps in to shore it up.
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