Forget the culture wars: Democrats and Republicans are focusing their midterm-election closing arguments on Medicare and Social Security

• In recent months, Democrats have focused on the effect of the midterm elections on abortion access.
• Now the economy is a huge concern for voters, and on that issue, many prefer Republicans.

The partisan war over entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security is enjoying a renewed spotlight as Democrats and Republicans hurtle toward the midterm elections — and after Americans said in a New York Times/Siena College poll that the economy was their biggest concern.

"Republican leaders have made it clear they will crash the economy by putting the United States in default unless we yield to their demand to cut Social Security and Medicare," President Joe Biden tweeted last week. "And that's more than a promise. It's a threat."

Democrats have shifted gears in recent weeks as the midterms edge closer and Republicans scoot ahead in what was once a neck-and-neck race. That's because the economy is at the forefront of Americans' anxieties. Since relief on sky-high inflation or the housing crisis isn't imminent, Democrats have turned to Republican plans to privatize and make cuts to Social Security and Medicare. It's a big change from Democrats' messaging in the summer and earlier in fall, which had been focused on protecting abortion access after Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court in June.

Democratic Rep. John Larson, the chair of the House subcommittee on Social Security, told Insider that inflation's outsize influence on those living off a fixed income — a large number of whom are retirees relying on programs like Social Security and Medicare — was also why it's a big focus.

"This is a voting bloc that will vote and that does come out," the Connecticut representative said. "With that in mind, it's hard to believe that the Republicans would say in this time is that what they plan to do is hold the debt ceiling hostage so they gain control of Congress and extract cuts to Social Security and Medicare."

In a speech at the Democratic National Committee last week, Biden used the phrase "Social Security and Medicare" 11 times while countering Republicans' rhetoric around reforming both programs. While Republicans have largely avoided specifics about what that reform might mean, Democrats are starting to highlight that entitlement programs may see big cuts if the GOP gets a congressional majority.

Republicans' proposed budget points to cuts, but they're denying that's the plan

Republicans have said Democrats are misrepresenting their comments on Social Security and Medicare. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he intended to "strengthen" the programs. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida told CNN last week that the GOP would not cut Social Security or Medicare, adding that he didn't "know one Republican" in favor of that.

"Scaring seniors with false claims of unilateral cuts to Medicare and Social Security by Republicans is an attempt by Democrats to distract voters leading up to November 8," Rep. Jodey Arrington of Texas, who's also on the Social Security subcommittee, told Insider. "Any reforms to these critical safety-net programs for seniors will ultimately require bipartisan support."

Arrington has repeatedly introduced legislation that would prevent people from receiving both Social Security disability benefits and Social Security unemployment benefits at the same time — called "double dipping" by critics.

While Republicans say the plan wouldn't affect current retirees, Mary Johnson, a Social Security and Medicare policy analyst at the Senior Citizens League, told Insider that the Republican Study Committee's proposed 2023 budget would cut the amount higher-wage earners paid into the trust fund.

"This would take revenues out of the system that are needed to pay the benefits of today's retirees," she said, adding that the committee wanted to provide both employers and employees the flexibility to contribute less and instead invest that money in private alternatives.

The plan also points to longer life expectancy and the need to raise the Social Security eligibility age from 67 to 70, which would expose beneficiaries to more cuts over time, Johnson said.

Social Security and Medicare are eclipsing abortion as tentpole election issues as America worries about the economy

While entitlement programs have been a site for partisan dueling for decades, the issue is being revived as many projections indicate that a red wave is coming in the midterms. In a recent New York Times/Siena College poll of voters, respondents were overwhelmingly concerned with the state of the economy. The respondents who were most worried about the economy were leaning Republican ahead of the midterms. Broadly, 49% of all the likely voters surveyed said they were more likely to vote Republican, with 45% saying they would vote for Democrats.

Some Democrats have been emphasizing the importance of focusing campaigns on economic issues facing Americans, especially with sky-high inflation. While Americans care about abortion access — it's the second-biggest issue for voters overall and the No. 1 issue for Democrats, an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll of 1,236 U.S. adults conducted at the beginning of September indicated — the economy is winning out on attention.

In an opinion piece for The Guardian, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said Democrats should gear messaging toward the economy in the lead-up to the midterms.

"This country has, for decades, faced structural economic crises that have caused the decline of the American middle class," Sanders wrote. "Now is the time for Democrats to take the fight to the reactionary Republican party and expose their anti-worker views on the most important issues facing ordinary Americans."