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Tom Allen on Social Security

2008 Senate challenger; Democratic Representative (ME-1)


Cosponsored the Notch Fairness Act, fairness to notch babies

Q: Notch babies are those individuals who receive lower Social Security benefits because they were born in the years 1917 & immediately thereafter. Do you support Notch Reform?

A: Allen supports Social Security Notch reform to correct the compensation disparity for individuals born in the notch period. Allen is a cosponsor of H.R. 368, the Notch Fairness Act of 2007, which will allow individuals born in the notch period to choose either lump sum payments or an improved benefit computation formula.

Source: Senior Citizens League Guide to the 2008 US Senate Campaigns Oct 10, 2008

Adjust cost-of-living to take care of seniors

Q: The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that seniors are currently receiving does not accurately reflect how they must spend their money.

A: People should never be forced to choose between heating their homes, buying food, and paying for medications. In our current economy, more seniors are struggling to make ends meet. As energy prices, food prices, and medical expenses increase, social security benefits must be adjusted accordingly to guarantee that we take care of our seniors.

Source: Senior Citizens League Guide to the 2008 US Senate Campaigns Oct 10, 2008

GOP raided trust fund to provide tax breaks for millionaires

Q: Do you support Social Security Reform or Privatization?

A: Tom Allen believes comprehensive Social Security reform and long-term solvency of the Social Security program must be a national priority. During his time in Congress, Rep. Allen fought against irresponsible Republican budgets that raided the Social Security trust fund to provide tax breaks for millionaires. Rep. Allen supported alternative budget proposals that protected Social Security and voted to save the budget surplus until legislation addressing Medicare and Social Security Trust Funds solvency was enacted. Tom has long supported measures to guarantee long-term Social Security solvency and voted to preserve 100% of the Social Security surplus for the Social Security program.

Source: Senior Citizens League Guide to the 2008 US Senate Campaigns Oct 10, 2008

Voted YES on raising 401(k) limits & making pension plans more portable.

Comprehensive Retirement Security and Pension Reform Act of 2001: Vote to pass a bill that would raise the amount individuals may contribute to traditional and Roth Individual Retirement Accounts and to 401[k] plans and make pensions plans more portable
Reference: Bill sponsored by Portman, R-OH; Bill HR 10 ; vote number 2001-96 on May 2, 2001

Voted NO on reducing tax payments on Social Security benefits.

Vote to pass a bill that would reduce the percentage of Social Security benefits that is taxable from 85 to 50 percent for single taxpayers with incomes over $25,000 and married couples with incomes over $32,000. The revenues that would be lost for the Medicare trust fund would be replaced by money from the general fund.
Reference: Bill sponsored by Archer, R-TX; Bill HR 4865 ; vote number 2000-450 on Jul 27, 2000

Voted YES on strengthening the Social Security Lockbox.

Amending the Social Security Lockbox bill to require that any budget surplus cannot be spent until the solvency of Social Security and Medicare is guaranteed.
Reference: Motion to Recommit introduced by Rangel, D-NY; Bill HR 1259 ; vote number 1999-163 on May 26, 1999

Changing Social Security disproportionately affects women.

Allen co-sponsored changing Social Security disproportionately affect women

RESOLUTION: Recognizing the unique effects that proposals to reform Social Security may have on women.

Source: H.RES.128 01-H128 on May 1, 2001

Rated 100% by the ARA, indicating a pro-senior voting record.

Allen scores 100% by the ARA on senior issues

The mission of the Alliance for Retired Americans is to ensure social and economic justice and full civil rights for all citizens so that they may enjoy lives of dignity, personal and family fulfillment and security. The Alliance believes that all older and retired persons have a responsibility to strive to create a society that incorporates these goals and rights and that retirement provides them with opportunities to pursue new and expanded activities with their unions, civic organizations and their communities.

The following ratings are based on the votes the organization considered most important; the numbers reflect the percentage of time the representative voted the organization's preferred position.

Source: ARA website 03n-ARA on Dec 31, 2003

Require small businesses to allow automatic IRA deposits.

Allen introduced requiring small businesses to allow automatic IRA deposits

Women's Retirement Security Act of 2008: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to increase the retirement security of women and small business owners. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to:

  1. require certain small employers who do not provide retirement plans for their employees to allow eligible employees to participate in a payroll deposit individual retirement account arrangement (automatic IRA);
  2. expand eligibility for the tax credit for retirement savings contributions (saver's credit) and make such credit refundable;
  3. allow part-time employees to participate in qualified cash or deferred arrangements;
  4. allow the transfer of up to $500 of unused health plan benefits to qualified retirement plans;
  5. treat wage replacement income (e.g., disability pay or unemployment compensation) as earned income for purposes of IRA contribution limits; and
  6. allow self-employed individuals to deduct pension plan contributions from their self-employment income.
Source: Women's Retirement Security Act (HR5543/S1288) 08-S1288 on Mar 6, 2008

Other candidates on Social Security: Tom Allen on other issues:
ME Gubernatorial:
John Baldacci
ME Senatorial:
Olympia Snowe
Susan Collins

Pending elections:
D,IL-5:Emanuel
D,CA-31:Solis
D,NY-20:Gillibrand

Special elections
in 110th Congress:

R,GA-10:Broun
D,IN-7:Carson
D,LA-6:Cazayoux
D,MD-4:Edwards
D,IL-14:Foster
D,CA-37:Richardson
R,LA-1:Scalise
D,CA-12:Speier
D,MA-5:Tsongas
R,VA-1:Wittman
GOP Freshmen
in 111th Congress:

R,OH-7:Austria
R,OH-16:Boccieri
R,LA-2:Cao
R,LA-6:Cassidy
R,UT-3:Chaffetz
R,CA-6:Coffman
R,LA-4:Fleming
R,KY-2:Guthrie
R,MS-3:Harper
R,CA-52:Hunter
R,KS-2:Jenkins
R,NJ-7:Lance
R,NY-26:Lee
R,MO-9:Luetkemeyer
R,WY-AL:Lummis
R,CA-4:McClintock
R,TX-22:Olson
R,MN-3:Paulsen
R,FL-15:Posey
R,TN-1:Roe
R,FL-16:Rooney
R,IL-18:Schock
R,PA-5:Thompson
Dem. Freshmen
in 111th Congress:

D,NJ-3:Adler
D,AL-2:Bright
D,VA-11:Connolly
D,PA-3:Dahlkemper
D,OH-1:Driehaus
D,OH-11:Fudge
D,FL-8:Grayson
D,AL-5:Griffith
D,IL-11:Halvorson
D,NM-1:Heinrich
D,CT-4:Himes
D,OH-15:Kilroy
D,AZ-1:Kirkpatrick
D,NC-8:Kissell
D,FL-24:Kosmas
D,MD-1:Kratovil
D,NM-3:Lujan
D,NY-25:Maffei
D,CO-4:Markey
D,NY-29:Massa
D,NY-13:McMahon
D,ID-1:Minnick
D,VA-5:Perriello
D,MI-9:Peters
D,ME-1:Pingree
D,CO-2:Polis
D,MI-7:Schauer
D,OR-5:Schrader
D,NM-2:Teague
D,NV-3:Titus
D,NY-21:Tonko
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Page last updated: Oct 03, 2009