Social Security and the Candidates: Who’s Saying What?
Political footballs are nothing new, especially in an election year. And Social Security reform has, as expected, risen to the attention of the remaining candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination. Just take a look at the exchange of viewpoints that surfaced during the March 15 debate, where accusations and denials bounced back and forth concerning the candidates’ intentions regarding senior benefits.
If you watched the debate, you may be wondering about the credibility of some of the rhetoric…in other words, who do you believe? The Associated Press writers, in their role as fact checkers, can help you out here. In a post on wkow.com, they provide viewpoints on the veracity of some of the claims made during the tense debate, and offer additional conjecture on the issues. Check the post out here…
But rhetoric aside, one of the key points in this issue was overlooked: the simple fact that we are running out of time! With each passing year, the endpoint–the depletion of Social Security’s Trust Fund reserves–draws closer. And as many folks know by now, the brutal result of legislative inaction will be a substantial reduction of critical benefits to vulnerable seniors. The Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) has been actively advocating for a strengthening of Social Security and has created a bipartisan compromise bill, titled “Social Security Guarantee Act” which would not require an increase in taxes. This legislative framework takes selected portions of bills introduced by former Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas) and Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) and merges them with the Association’s original thinking. This bipartisan compromise approach has been carried to many lawmakers in Washington and many, many congressional offices and their legislative staffs over the past several years. Learn more about AMAC’s Social Security Guarantee here…