Nikki Haley is unafraid to talk Social Security & Medicare reform - AMAC & CNN
Fredreka Schouten of CNN explains that GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley is seemingly alone in acknowledging we have federal entitlement programs we simply cannot afford. Haley is open to increasing the Social Security retirement age for today’s younger workers and limiting the growth of benefits the wealthy receive. The candidate admitted this in September: “I recognize that Social Security and Medicare are the last thing the political class wants to talk about.” Medicare can pay scheduled benefits only until 2031, and Social Security is solvent only until about 2033-34. Full article here.
As an example of the leading thoughts on reforming Social Security, the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC, Inc.) believes Social Security must be preserved and modernized. This can be achieved without tax increases by slight modifications to cost of living adjustments and payments to high income beneficiaries plus gradually increasing the full (but not early) retirement age. AMAC Action, AMAC’s advocacy arm, supports an increase in the threshold where benefits are taxed and then indexing for inflation, and calls for eliminating the reduction in people’s benefits for those choosing to work before full retirement age. AMAC is resolute in its mission that Social Security be preserved for current and successive generations and has gotten the attention of lawmakers in D.C., meeting with many congressional offices and staff over the past decade.