Longevity is a hidden key in the debt ceiling debate

 The biggest reason the national debt is on track to become unsustainable is the growth in unfunded spending on Medicare and Social Security.

The reason we have Medicare and Social Security in the first place is that people’s bodies age as they get older, to the point where they can no longer get a good job or affordable private health insurance, so they need Medicare and Social Security as a last resort to stay alive with dignity. Medicare is health insurance of last resort, because private health insurance companies expect that you’re going to need so much medical attention in old age that they would need to charge a massive monthly premium—more than most old people can afford. And Social Security is a payment to live of last resort, under the assumption that employers discriminate so much against old people, or old people become so incapable of working, that payments from the government are the only fair alternative. Achieving breakthroughs in longevity science is a hidden key to solving the debt ceiling debate. It has been proven that it is possible to reverse one’s biological age. If the U.S. government invests sufficiently in finding proven ways to reverse one’s biological age or stop the aging process, and if it reforms FDA regulations sufficiently so that it becomes easier to experiment to find ways to reverse aging, then there would be no issues with raising the retirement age for Medicare and Social Security, reducing their budget burden. It's awful that we let everyone die before age 120 without doing more to stop it. If the Biden administration and Congress make finding scientific breakthroughs in longevity a requirement for reducing the national debt, we will all be better off.

On Title 42

Here is an open letter to President Joe Biden on Title 42.

Dear President Biden,

I hope that you and your administration are doing well. I was wondering if you can please extend Title 42 past this Thursday and reinstitute the Trump administration’s successful Remain in Mexico policy. If illegal migrants stay in the U.S. while waiting for their asylum case to be heard, many of them may never show up to court and stay in the U.S. illegally indefinitely. There already are millions of illegal immigrants in the U.S., and the number will grow exponentially if Title 42 ends, since the U.S. economy has so much to offer.

It may seem empathetic to let just anyone into the U.S., but that’s not quite true. Eventually, we may end up like a third-world country if we let just anyone in, including potential terrorists. We need to maintain what makes the U.S. special and be selective about who we let in.

I hope that you can please extend Title 42 indefinitely, reinstitute the Remain in Mexico policy, and consider deploying the U.S. Army to protect our country from an onslaught of illegal immigration, which is almost indistinguishable from an invasion, which presidents are obligated in the U.S. Constitution to protect against. It is especially important to protect U.S. citizens from the deadly fentanyl that is being carried across the border. Also: Please finish the wall, or at minimum a strong border fence.

If you’re planning to share governance more closely with the government of Mexico, I believe that is something that both Congress and the courts have an obligation to have a say in and be able to veto, under the Constitution.

If there is any reason your hands are tied, such as pressure from foreign governments, I would like to know why. I am happy to listen in a way that is understanding, empathetic, and fair.

I also hope that you can negotiate in good faith with Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the other Republicans in the House and Senate on the debt limit. Our national debt is on an unsustainable trajectory, and I hope that you can listen more to economic advisers from the center-left and center-right.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Bonnie Kavoussi

Update (May 10): Here is an informative news conference from DHS Secretary Mayorkas, where he emphasized that the border is not open.

Update (May 11): A possible endgame for what may happen is that U.S. states might be forced to close their borders with each other if we are unable to close our border with Mexico. This is because illegal immigrants might flood into, say, California and then try to make their way to somewhere like Texas.

It is absolutely essential for us to extend Title 42 and re-implement the Remain in Mexico policy. This is an invasion, and under Article IV, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, the federal government has the obligation to protect states from invasion.

Update 2 (May 11): The Biden administration seems to be taking a level of appropriate action, as DHS Sec. Mayorkas is speaking about here.