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Rick Berg on Social Security

 


2005: Supported Bush's privatization plan as state rep

Rep. Rick Berg (R-ND) defended his Social Security plan at a Senate debate yesterday, prompting loud and sustained boos from audience members. Berg's opponent, Heidi Heitkamp, attacked the congressman for supporting privatizing Social Security. Indeed, as a state representative in 2005, Berg introduced a resolution formally supporting then-President Bush's plan to privatize Social Security.

When Berg said that this attack is "what's wrong with Washington," he was met with a loud chorus of boos from the audience:

HEITKAMP: When you say "I'm going to fix it," you're going to privatize it. That was George W. Bush's plan. That's the plan you supported, Bush's privatization plan. You can't run away from that record.

BERG: This is what's wrong with Washington. People blame, blame, blame and don't come up with solutions. [Loud boos from the audience]. What we need are solutions to Social Security. There's no question. But what we need is to get our economy going.

Source: ThinkProgress.org on 2012 N.D. Senate debates , Sep 6, 2012

Against privatizing Social Security

Berg opposes privatizing Social Security and wants to find creative ways to decrease the program's deficit without raising payroll taxes or reducing benefits.
Source: Washington Post, "Post Politics" , Mar 2, 2012

Don't privatize; don't raise the retirement age

We made a promise to our seniors that Social Security would be there for them, and Rick is committed to keeping that promise. However, clearly the system is broken and must be addressed. Working together, we must find a way to preserve and strengthen Social Security without raising payroll taxes, reducing benefits, increasing the retirement age, or privatizing the system so it is available to all Americans for generations to come.
Source: 2010 House campaign website, bergforcongress.com, "Issues" , Nov 2, 2010

2005: Supported Bush's privatization plan as state rep

Berg co-introduced HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 3056: