State of Wisconsin Archives: on Social Security
Sarah Godlewski:
Proposed state programs to promote retirement security
Godlewski and the Governor's Task Force on Retirement Security released five innovative, bipartisan, and cost-effective solutions to ensure Wisconsinites can retire with financial security and peace of mind -- including a brand-new program for
Wisconsinites to save at birth and a state-facilitated retirement plan for nearly one million Wisconsinites without access to a plan through their employer. The new policy proposals are the centerpiece of the Retirement Security Task Force report.
Source: 2022 Wisconsin Senate: GovDelivery.com press release
Feb 10, 2021
Bryan Steil:
No changes to seniors' rights of Medicare & Social Security
Q: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recently said the only way to lower that deficit would be to cut social safety net programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Is that something that you're willing to accept? A: Medicare and
Social Security are promises we made to seniors. Those are promises we need to keep. There should be no changes. As you look to that generation much further down--my generation and younger--it's an approach of how do we pull together a bipartisan
review to determine how can we make these programs sustainable for future generations? But for the generation that's in retirement and approaching retirement age, we don't need to cut or negatively impact those individuals.
And part of that is why I'm so focused on government spending across the board, to make sure that our spending is in line so that we can honor that promise that we made to seniors for those in particular in retirement now and approaching retirement age.
Source: Wisconsin Public Radio on 2018 WI-6 House debates
Mar 20, 2019
Leah Vukmir:
Personal Retirement Accounts for portion of payroll taxes
Q: Support full or partial privatization of Social Security?Tammy Baldwin (D): Long opposed.
Leah Vukmir (R): Backed Personal Retirement Accounts for portion of Social Security payroll taxes.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Wisconsin Senate race
Oct 9, 2018
Tammy Baldwin:
Long opposed to privatization
Q: Support full or partial privatization of Social Security?Tammy Baldwin (D): Long opposed.
Leah Vukmir (R): Backed Personal Retirement Accounts for portion of Social Security payroll taxes.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Wisconsin Senate race
Oct 9, 2018
Phil Anderson:
End mandatory participation in Social Security
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Privatize Social Security"?
A: Keep the promises we've made but end mandatory participation.
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Wisconsin Governor candidate
May 18, 2018
Kelda Helen Roys:
Oppose privatizing Social Security
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Privatize Social Security"?
A: Strongly Oppose
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Wisconsin Governor candidate
May 5, 2018
Bob Harlow:
Balance budget but protect Social Security and Medicare
Bob's Statement on the Republican Tax Bill: America needs a balanced budget that protects Social Security and Medicare and makes investments in innovation, infrastructure and defense. The Republican party doesn't care.
They have one priority while in power: Max out Uncle Sam's credit card and send checks to their donors.
Source: 2018 Wisconsin Gubernatorial campaign website BobHarlow.net
Dec 27, 2017
Mike Gallagher:
Preserve and protect our most effective anti-poverty program
My clear stance on Social Security: I am dedicated to preserving and protecting Social Security. Like over 50 million American senior citizens, my grandmothers and great uncle rely on Social Security each month and I've seen the importance of this
program firsthand. This has been the most effective anti-poverty program in our nation's history and we must ensure it remains in place for generations to come.Social Security is the single most important commitment we have made to our seniors
and retirees and we must ensure it remains a secure economic safety-net for generations to come. As a Member of Congress:
- I will work with leaders from both sides of the aisle to protect
Social Security.
- I will oppose efforts to privatize the system.
- I will push Congress to stop ignoring this critical issue before it's too late.
Source: 2016 Wisconsin House campaign website MikeForWisconsin.com
Nov 8, 2016
Bernie Sanders:
Lift cap on wealthy: at $250,000 program lasts 58 years
We should lift the cap on taxable income coming into the Social Security Trust Fund, starting at $250,000. We expand Social Security by $1,300 a year for people under
$16,000, and we extend the life of Social Security for 58 years. The wealthiest people will pay more in taxes. I will do everything I can to expand Social Security benefits, not just for seniors, but for disabled veterans, as well.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Feb 11, 2016
Hillary Clinton:
Expand Social Security for most vulnerable first
Rather than expand benefits for everyone, I want to take care of low-income seniors who worked at low-wage jobs. I want to take care of women. When the Social Security program was started in the 1930s, not very many women worked. Women have been
disadvantaged ever since. They do not get credit for their care-taking responsibilities. We have no disagreement about the need to buttress Social Security. I want to start by helping those people who are most at risk.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Feb 11, 2016
Scott Walker:
Increase public employee pension payments to 5%
For years, our employees have been asked to do more with less. However, the difficult reality is that healthcare costs and pension costs have risen dramatically and that has created a benefit system that is simply unsustainable. Government benefits have
grown while so many others in the private sector have seen their benefits adjusted in order to protect jobs. Currently, most state employees pay next to nothing from their salaries toward their pension, while the state's taxpayers pay more than $190
million each year on state employees' behalf. Similarly, most state workers only pay about 6% of their premium costs for their health care plan. Asking public employees to make a pension payment of just over 5% (which is about the national average) and a
premium payment of 12% (which is about half of the national average) would save the state more than $30 million over three months. Most workers outside of government would love a deal like that--particularly if it means saving jobs.
Source: 2011 Wisconsin State of the State Address
Feb 1, 2011
Page last updated: Oct 14, 2021