Survey of 2012 House campaign websites: on Social Security

Alan Lowenthal: I will protect the promise of Social Security

"Social Security belongs to those who paid into it, and I will protect the promise of Social Security,", says Sen. Alan Lowenthal.

Ami Bera: Fight all efforts to privatize this program

Brad Schneider: Work tirelessly to prevent privatization of Social Security

I will work tirelessly in Congress to prevent the privatization of Social Security, insulating it from the kind of financial gambling that precipitated our current economic downturn.

The seniors who helped to build our families and our towns should be guaranteed access to affordable, quality health care. In Congress, I will work to protect Medicare from the right-wing Ryan Budget's attempts to convert the program to a risky, expensive voucher plan. Republicans want to end the Medicare guarantee that our seniors have counted on for years, leaving our seniors practically on their own with major healthcare decisions and costs.

Cheri Bustos: Strongly oppose any attempt to privatize Social Security

Chris Stewart: Personal Savings Plans for workers under 55

We must enact Social Security Reform if we want to survive. We can do that by:
• Not jeopardizing the future of American retirees. My plan will preserve the existing Social Security program for those 55 or older.
• Creating Personal Savings Plans that would allow workers under 55 to invest one third their Social Security tax into personal retirement accounts. These private accounts would allow future generations to be independent of the government when they reach retirement age. They also have the added benefit of being owned and controlled by the individual and not the government.
• Redefining Social Security back to its original intent--a true insurance plan to guarantee against poverty in old age. To accomplish this, we must begin means testing Social Security benefits.
• Using a more accurate Cost of Living Adjustment formula.
• Implementing a more reasonable retirement age that reflects the dramatic increases in the life expectancy.

Denny Heck: Fix program without privatizing Social Security

Donald Payne Jr.: No privatized options for Social Security or Medicare

Strengthening Social Security: Tea Party extremists want you to believe that the whole system is inches from collapse. In reality, the system will be safe for decades if Congress insists that the wealthy to pay their fair share. I support raising or removing the "ceiling," above which the wealthy do not have to pay into Social Security.

Doug LaMalfa: Let future generations control their eventual retirements

Elizabeth Esty: Oppose any attempt to privatize or cut Social Security

Eric Swalwell: Ensure our successful government programs for long-term

Filemon Vela: Keep system sound but don't privatize Social Security

Grace Meng: Protect long-term solvency through increased tax fairness

Hakeem Jeffries: Fight right-wing efforts to destroy critical programs

Jared Huffman: Increase wage cap, without privatization

Joe Garcia: Opposes any effort to privatize Social Security

Joe Kennedy III: No means testing; no age changes; no privatization

John Delaney: Don't cut or privatize program that has been so successful

We must preserve this crucial program for future generations without cutting benefits or making radical and irresponsible changes. In Congress, I will defend Social Security and fight any attempts to privatize it.

The program is generally sound, but some changes will need to be made to make sure we can keep this promise to future generations. I will support common sense measures such as making sure that wealthy Americans pay the same payroll tax rate into Social Security as everyone else.

Joyce Beatty: Advocate for full funding of Social Security

Recently on a trip to Washington, Joyce Beatty met with the Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. She discussed ways to make improvements to the systems and how we can continue to fund it well into the future.

Joyce Beatty understands that some of the issues facing Social Security will be long-term challenges and should not be met with short term crisis management. Raising the age limit on Social Security is not the answer. It is time to put partisan politics of Washington aside and work together to address these challenges allowing the government to keep its commitment to our older Americans and people with disabilities.

Juan Vargas: Protect Medicare and Social Security

My public policy priorities are:
• Protecting Medicare and Social Security
• Good paying jobs for trained workers
• Solar and green power to boost economic growth
• Educational opportunities for all children
• In-home supportive healthcare services for the aged and infirmed

Kevin Cramer: Doing nothing is not an option; more private sector options

Social Security needs major reforms that should be implemented for those 55 years old and younger, reforms that include gradually raising the retirement age and that introduce more private sector options and means testing. For those 55+, the Social Security benefits promised to them need to be protected and delivered.

These programs must be dealt with apart from the politics of discretionary spending. The first step is to admit they are not sustainable in their current form, and then have a transparent debate of ideas that deal with reality.

Kyrsten Sinema: Privatization is gambling in the roller-coaster stock market

One Republican plan in Washington would privatize Medicare, ending the program as we know it by turning it into a voucher program that would send out-of-pocket health care costs skyrocketing for seniors. Another plan privatizes Social Security, gambling it in the roller-coaster stock market instead of protecting it as a stable and secure part of their retirement. Sinema strongly opposes these attempts to privatize Social Security and Medicare, and will fight to strengthen these cornerstones of economic security for Arizona seniors. It is important to balance the federal budget, but we need to do it the right way, by protecting Social Security and Medicare, not asking seniors to sacrifice their dignity.

Lois Frankel: Focus on waste, fraud and abuse to protect Social Security

Making these programs solvent for the long term is vital to their continued survival. We need to focus on combating waste, fraud and abuse from people trying to make money off these precious programs.

Mark Pocan: Lift the cap on earnings subject to payroll tax

Mark's To-Do List:
• Staunchly support continued expansion of Medicare
• Enact legislation that would allow Medicare to bargain with drug companies to reduce prescription drug costs for our seniors
• Ensure the Social Security Trust Fund remains solvent by lifting the cap on earnings subject to social security contributions
• Increase benefits and cost-of-living-adjustments

Mark Takano: Fight to protect Social Security from privatizations plans

Michelle Lujan-Grisham: Oppose any effort to privatize Social Security and Medicare

• Empower home caregivers. With the proper support, more seniors can continue to be active in their own communities and to be healthy in their own homes.
• Pushing for tougher laws to crack down on financial crimes against seniors. Scam artists who defraud vulnerable seniors need to be brought to justice.

Patrick Murphy: Keep promise & maintain program's long-term solvency

Seniors today are under an unacceptable strain--with Medicare costs continuing to rise and a Congress that's intent on undermining Social Security.

The single biggest and most immediate threat to Social Security is not solvency, but rather the continual assault on the program by those that wish to privatize it, means test it, or divert it into pet programs. House Republicans want to change the way Social Security is provided and make drastic cuts to the program.

Social Security is a promise that must be kept and Democrats and Republicans must work together to maintain the program's long-term solvency.

Paul Cook: Keep promises to our seniors

Pete Gallego: Oppose efforts to raise retirement age or privatize

Raul Ruiz: Protect entitlements from slashing guaranteed benefits

Rick Nolan: Don't turn Social Security over to Wall Street

Scott Perry: Keep promise to seniors & develop common sense solutions

• Seniors: The political brinksmanship that has befallen Medicare and Social Security has to stop and it has to stop now. We need to develop effective, common sense solutions that do not threaten the promise we have given to our senior. To treat this serious issue as a pawn in a power game is unconscionable.

Scott Peters: No diversion of assets from retiree Trust Fund

Steven Horsford: Say no to privatizing Social Security and ending Medicare

For the first 27 years of Steven's life, he visited his grandmother every week in a nursing home. Steven knows the difference between quality care and substandard care. Our seniors have spent their entire lives working hard and deserve peace of mind that their retirement will be secure. Social Security and Medicare are promises America made and programs that seniors paid into.

Suzan DelBene: The truth is, it's a good system; don't privatize

Those who say Social Security is in immediate danger are using scare tactics to dismantle it. The truth is, it's a good system. It's worked so well that Social Security funds have been used for other purposes, which needs to stop. But there are long-term financial concerns, which is why I support raising the income limits, or 'scrapping the cap.' I also oppose raising the retirement age or privatizing Social Security.

Tammy Duckworth: Oppose efforts to undermine Social Security

Trey Radel: Guarantee the commitments made to seniors

My generation must be bold enough, strong enough and respectful enough to make sure that Social Security and Medicare are secure and available for all of our senior citizens. I will work to guarantee the commitments made by the federal government to our retirees are honored.

Tulsi Gabbard: No budget cuts to Medicare and Social Security

Brenda Lawrence: No more scare tactics on Social Security

• We absolutely must take care of our senior citizens.
• Social Security and Medicare are critical to the independence of our senior population.
• It is inappropriate for these important programs to be used as tools to manipulate voters with false and misleading information being used as scare tactics.

Paul Ryan: Give millions a chance to prosper in investor class

I have proposed giving younger workers the voluntary option to invest over 1/3 of their payroll taxes into personal retirement accounts. These benefits will become the property of the individual, which can be passed onto their heirs. These voluntary retirement accounts also have built-in safeguards to minimize risk--with a guaranteed minimum benefit, while still allowing for growth far above the chronically low rates of return in our current system. The real risk to individuals contributing to Social Security comes in the form of those clinging to the status quo. If we do not place Social Security on sound financial footing now, there will be painful adjustments in the years ahead. My proposal would make Social Security permanently solvent.

Ron Barber: System needs modest adjustments, not privatization

Ron will not support efforts to phase out Social Security and Medicare and replace them with privatized systems that won't offer firm assurances of a livable income to future retirees.

Bob Turner: Oppose efforts to privatize or bankrupt the system

Janice Hahn: Moral responsibility to honor our obligations to seniors

Kathy Hochul: Endorsed by National Committee to Preserve Social Security

Their endorsement:"We enthusiastically endorse Kathy Hochul's candidacy. Hochul understands and supports the critical roles that Social Security and Medicare play in the retirement and health security of our nation's older citizens and their families. We have no doubt she is well-prepared to serve the needs of seniors and will make the preservation of Social Security and Medicare a priority in office."

Hochul says, "With their backing, we will fight the Republican budget that aims to decimate Medicare and any Republican efforts to privatize Social Security. I will stop at nothing to protect the guarantees we've made to our seniors over the last 76 years."