Republicans are seeking to counter President Joe Biden's criticism of GOP lawmakers and politicians proposing cuts to Social Security and Medicare, and now to Obamacare and Medicaid.

But the Republican counterattacks risk being too little, too late as Biden amplifies his message in Virginia this week and prepares to announce a likely 2024 reelection campaign.

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The potency of the Democrats' entitlements criticism of Republicans emanates from partisan cliches and "a predetermined narrative" that Democrats increase taxes and spending and the GOP decrease taxes and spending, according to Republican strategist Susan Del Percio.

"Those narratives are so ingrained — whether they are true or not, they are what people think of the parties," she told the Washington Examiner. "So when it comes out that Republicans want to cut entitlements, it's not surprising to the public. It's something that just works."

If Republicans hope to "push back" on the partisan cliches, Del Percio, who never supported former President Donald Trump, said one option for the GOP is to pitch spending reductions.

"When it comes down to the Republicans and, you know, changing the narrative, it comes down to show me the money," she added. "Show me where the money's going to get cut."

Yet Republicans have resisted similar suggestions thus far amid debt ceiling negotiations before the country is projected to default on its $31.4 trillion in loans this summer. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is opposed to a "clean" debt ceiling bill, pressing the White House and congressional Democrats for spending decreases instead, though he has reiterated he does not endorse Social Security and Medicare reforms.

The Democrats' entitlements criticism of Republicans stems in part from Sen. Rick Scott's (R-FL) "Rescue America" plan, which he introduced last year while he was chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Almost 12 months after he released the framework, Scott last week clarified his 12 points to exclude "Social Security, Medicare, national security, veterans benefits, and other essential services" from his call to reauthorize government programs every five years. He has also accused Biden of echoing his position in 1975.

But as Scott tries to mitigate the political damage, others, such as Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Mike Lee (R-UT), as well as former Vice President Mike Pence, have argued that entitlement spending has to be addressed.

“We have to put Social Security and Medicare on the table in the long term,” Pence told CNBC last week. “We’re looking at a debt crisis in this country over the next 25 years that is driven by entitlements, and no one in Washington, D.C., wants to talk about it."

Simultaneously, American Action Network, a House Republican leadership-aligned 501(c)(4) organization, has repeatedly underscored weaknesses in Biden's own Medicare policy, such as citing a Congressional Budget Office report published this month that AAN contends found "Biden and the congressional Left cut $300 billion from Medicare in 2022 and blew it all on wasteful pet projects."

"According to page 72 of the new CBO report, 'the largest effect' of the Left’s spending bill was a $307 billion cut to Medicare and 'that decrease was almost entirely offset by increases in projected outlays for other programs over the 2023–2032 period, including $80 billion for the IRS, $76 billion 'to reduce greenhouse gasses,' $36 billion for green energy tax credits, $35 billion in tax credits for the wealthy to buy luxurious electric vehicles, $35 billion for healthcare tax credits, [and] $15 billion for Medicaid," AAN spokesman Calvin Moore said.

"In other words? The CBO confirmed the Left raided Medicare in 2022, and now in 2023, they’re coming back to do it all over again, cutting Medicare benefits for seniors up to 63%," he added.

The NRSC has also pointed to a separate Avalere Health report this month that found Biden’s "Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services CY 2024 Advance Notice could cut Medicare Advantage by $540 per Medicare Advantage enrollee on average next year, or 29%."

"This comes days after Joe Biden falsely accused the GOP of wanting to cut benefits," NRSC spokesman Philip Letsou said. “Joe Biden is trying to gut Medicare benefits. Seniors can’t trust Democrats to protect Medicare.” 

Biden is traveling to Virginia Beach on Tuesday to underline "Republicans’ attempts to threaten default unless they can cut the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid," according to the White House. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to detail Biden's own ideas for funding Social Security before the president's budget is shared on March 9.

"He [will put] it at the feet of Republicans in Congress and say, 'OK, what is your proposal? What is your transparent proposal to the American people? What are you putting forth?'" she told reporters Monday. "We're going to be ready on March 9 to show that to the American people and ready to have that conversation."

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During a phone call, senior administration officials, too, declined to specify whether Obamacare and Medicare were "off the table" for Biden amid debt ceiling negotiations with McCarthy.

"What you'll hear him say tomorrow is that we need to continue to protect and build on progress we've made strengthening the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid," one aide said.