Joe Sestak on Social Security Democratic Senate Challenger; former Navy Admiral

Protect Medicare, Social Security, and Consumer Finance

Priorities:
• Protect Medicare and Social Security.
• Put a stop to elder abuse.
• Support seniors who want to receive long-term care at home.
• Increase funding to fight diseases of the elderly, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and cancer.
• Reduce costs of prescription drugs by allowing Medicare to negotiate for the lowest drug prices.
• Restore to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau its full powers so it can adequately monitor companies and protect against fraud, scams, and predatory lending.
• Create more opportunities for senior advancement and community involvement..

Never supported policy to cut Social Security or Medicare

Never raise, never, the age for our seniors to retire

McGinty has cited Sestak's praise for the 2010 Simpson-Bowles plan's broad deficit-reduction blueprint, an outline that includes cuts to Social Security, to go after him on that issue.

Sestak did not let that stand. "Katie, you're wrong--here's why--you should remember, as I do as a Catholic, the Eighth Commandment," he said, citing the order to not bear false witness against a neighbor. He said he has publicly advocated that "we should never raise, never, the age for our seniors to retire." Sestak also said he voted 41 times as a congressman to protect Social Security and Medicare.

Republicans pointed out that McGinty's campaign chairman, former Gov. Ed Rendell, has often praised the courage of lawmakers who have embraced the deficit reduction plan she is now criticizing.

Social Security is the cornerstone of retirement security

Co-sponsored the Social Security Fairness Act

Joe Sestak has worked hard to assist America's senior citizens. Highlights Of Joe Sestak's Legislative Efforts To Support Seniors:
• Authored the elder abuse victims Act
• Co-sponsored the community choice Act
• Co-sponsored the Social Security Fairness Act: Drastically improves monthly Social Security benefits by repealing the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision, which punish more than 1 million employees in more than a dozen states.

Oppose privatization; would have lost income in recession

• Secure the Long-Term Solvency of Social Security while Maintaining Benefits
• Oppose Privatization of Social Security, which would have decreased the income of retirees significantly during the recent economic recession.
• Support Efforts to Credit Social Security Revenue to the Trust Fund Rather than the General Fund.
• Establish a Social Security "Lock Box" Policy, such a policy would prevent diversion of funds from Social Security for other programs.
• Supports Examining the Regressive Nature of Social Security Taxes and Exclusion of Investment Income.

Opposes private retirement accounts.

The Christian Coalition voter guide [is] one of the most powerful tools Christians have ever had to impact our society during elections. This simple tool has helped educate tens of millions of citizens across this nation as to where candidates for public office stand on key faith and family issues.

The CC survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: "Allowing individuals to invest a portion of their Social Security tax in private retirement accounts"