Last week, California congressman Mark Takano wrote a letter saying that he would  vote against any cuts to Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security benefits, and that he would stand strong against raising the retirment age. 

Republicans in the state have argued that such changes are key to addressing spending and balancing the federal budget. The argument is that people are living and working longer, so they should be able to raise the age, but that might not be the case.

Michael A. Fletcher, a reporter with the Washington Post joins the show with more.