WASHINGTON– Today, Senator Mike Lee demanded PresidentBarack Obama explain to the American people why he is threatening to withhold Social Security benefits from seniors, rather than seek budget alternatives.

“[W]e’re bringing in about $200 billion a month in tax revenue. So there’s more than enough tax revenue there to cover not only Social Security benefits but also interest on debt and a number of other things aswell,” Senator Lee said from the floor of the Senate.

“That begs the question, why are Social Securitybeneficiaries the first to be threatened? Why is it their checks that the President is threatening to withhold first?  There is no explanation to this that he’s offered, and I hereby demand one.

“I think our current retirees deserve more than to be used as pawns in a high-stakes political game; one that uses fear and uncertainty and doubt rather than reason and discussion and debate and willingness to compromise…

“I urge my colleagues and I urge all Americans to work together to find a solution to this; a solution that need not involve and should not involve threatening America’s most vulnerable, including our retirees who rely each month on Social Security.”

Earlier today, Senator Lee posted to his website a list of alternatives he said the President should consider before cutting benefits for Social Security recipients.  The list can be found here.

“Are there no programs in the Energy Department, or Interior, or at HUD which we could suspend in order to ensure that our seniors receive the income they are expecting,” Lee added.