By Nancy Altman
In the first nationally televised 2016 presidential debate, Americans
got a glimpse at what their economic future might hold if one of the
Republican candidates becomes president -- and the picture wasn't
pretty.
Social Security is essential for workers and their families who want to retire with dignity and independence and want to be protected in the event of death or a disabling illness or accident. Given the Social Security views of those who took the debate stage Thursday night, Americans should be very worried.
Governor CHRIS CHRISTIE doubled down on his destructive proposal to turn Social Security into a means-tested welfare program. On top of that, he proposed raising Social Security's full retirement age to 69, a thirteen percent, across-the-board benefit cut. Like President George W. Bush before him, Governor Christie will, if elected president, seek to destroy Social Security, while claiming to be just "saving" it.
Christie's views on Social Security are extreme, fringe and totally out of touch with the American people. Polling released last week by Social Security Works shows that Americans across the board-- including majorities of Republicans and Independents-- oppose cuts to Social Security and say they are less likely to vote for candidates who support cuts to the program.
To his credit, MIKE HUCKABEE stands firmly against benefit cuts, and with the American people. He wrongly seems to believe that Social Security contributions have been stolen, not merely lent and so must be paid back. But he is light years ahead of all the other Republican candidates on this issue, with the exception of DONALD TRUMP, who in April remarked, "Every Republican wants to do a big number on Social Security, they want to do it on Medicare, they want to do it on Medicaid. And it's not fair to the people that have been paying in for years and now all of the sudden they want to be cut." He made clear, "I'm not gonna do that!"
Since the others did not offer their views last night, here they are (with the exceptions of Ben Carson and Jim Gilmore who haven't made their views known.)
PRIME TIME DEBATE
JEB BUSH: Privatize Social Security, Raise the Retirement Age As High as 70,End Medicare
SCOTT WALKER: Raise the Retirement Age
TED CRUZ: Privatize Social Security, Raise the Retirement Age, Cut Benefits
MARCO RUBIO: Raise the Retirement Age, May Cut Benefits, Privatize Medicare
RAND PAUL: Raise the Retirement Age to 70, Means-Test Social Security
JOHN KASICH:Privatize Social Security, Cut benefits
SECOND TIER DEBATE
RICK PERRY: Social Security is a "Ponzi Scheme," "Monstrous Lie"
RICK SANTORUM: Raise Retirement Age,Means Test Social Security, May cut cost of living adjustments for current and future beneficiaries
BOBBY JINDAL: Privatize Social Security
CARLY FIORINA: May Raise Retirement Age
LINDSEY GRAHAM: Cut Social Security Benefits for People who are unmarried and have no children.
GEORGE PATAKI: Raise Retirement Age, Shift More Medicare Cost to Seniors and People With Disabilities
With a looming retirement income crisis and growing wealth and income inequality, expanding Social Security, not cutting it, is the right policy. It is also what the overwhelming majority of Americans want. It sounds like everyone but Huckabee and Trump are taking their Social Security advice from their billionaire donors.
Last election, voters didn't realize that they had a choice, since President Obama, inexplicably and inaccurately, asserted in a presidential debate against Mitt Romney, "I suspect that, on Social Security, we've got a somewhat similar position," This time around, with Democratic Presidential frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders both advocating expansion, voters are likely to have a clear choice. For the sake of their families' economic security, they should exercise it wisely.
Social Security is essential for workers and their families who want to retire with dignity and independence and want to be protected in the event of death or a disabling illness or accident. Given the Social Security views of those who took the debate stage Thursday night, Americans should be very worried.
Governor CHRIS CHRISTIE doubled down on his destructive proposal to turn Social Security into a means-tested welfare program. On top of that, he proposed raising Social Security's full retirement age to 69, a thirteen percent, across-the-board benefit cut. Like President George W. Bush before him, Governor Christie will, if elected president, seek to destroy Social Security, while claiming to be just "saving" it.
Christie's views on Social Security are extreme, fringe and totally out of touch with the American people. Polling released last week by Social Security Works shows that Americans across the board-- including majorities of Republicans and Independents-- oppose cuts to Social Security and say they are less likely to vote for candidates who support cuts to the program.
To his credit, MIKE HUCKABEE stands firmly against benefit cuts, and with the American people. He wrongly seems to believe that Social Security contributions have been stolen, not merely lent and so must be paid back. But he is light years ahead of all the other Republican candidates on this issue, with the exception of DONALD TRUMP, who in April remarked, "Every Republican wants to do a big number on Social Security, they want to do it on Medicare, they want to do it on Medicaid. And it's not fair to the people that have been paying in for years and now all of the sudden they want to be cut." He made clear, "I'm not gonna do that!"
Since the others did not offer their views last night, here they are (with the exceptions of Ben Carson and Jim Gilmore who haven't made their views known.)
PRIME TIME DEBATE
JEB BUSH: Privatize Social Security, Raise the Retirement Age As High as 70,End Medicare
SCOTT WALKER: Raise the Retirement Age
TED CRUZ: Privatize Social Security, Raise the Retirement Age, Cut Benefits
MARCO RUBIO: Raise the Retirement Age, May Cut Benefits, Privatize Medicare
RAND PAUL: Raise the Retirement Age to 70, Means-Test Social Security
JOHN KASICH:Privatize Social Security, Cut benefits
SECOND TIER DEBATE
RICK PERRY: Social Security is a "Ponzi Scheme," "Monstrous Lie"
RICK SANTORUM: Raise Retirement Age,Means Test Social Security, May cut cost of living adjustments for current and future beneficiaries
BOBBY JINDAL: Privatize Social Security
CARLY FIORINA: May Raise Retirement Age
LINDSEY GRAHAM: Cut Social Security Benefits for People who are unmarried and have no children.
GEORGE PATAKI: Raise Retirement Age, Shift More Medicare Cost to Seniors and People With Disabilities
With a looming retirement income crisis and growing wealth and income inequality, expanding Social Security, not cutting it, is the right policy. It is also what the overwhelming majority of Americans want. It sounds like everyone but Huckabee and Trump are taking their Social Security advice from their billionaire donors.
Last election, voters didn't realize that they had a choice, since President Obama, inexplicably and inaccurately, asserted in a presidential debate against Mitt Romney, "I suspect that, on Social Security, we've got a somewhat similar position," This time around, with Democratic Presidential frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders both advocating expansion, voters are likely to have a clear choice. For the sake of their families' economic security, they should exercise it wisely.
Nancy Altman is author of The Battle for Social Security: From FDR's Vision to Bush's Gamble
(John Wiley & Sons, 2005) is president of Social Security Works and
Chair of the Strengthen Social Security Coalition. She is co-author,
with Eric R. Kingson, of Social Security Works! Why Social Security Isn't Going Broke and How Expanding It Will Help Us All (The New Press, 2015), and has written the forward to a new release of Thomas Paine's Agrarian Justice.
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