State of Arizona Archives: on Social Security
Alan Keyes:
Keep our promises on Social Security benefits, guaranteed
For many years, my slogan on Social Security has been simple and clear. We’ve got to keep the promises we’ve made, because folks who have paid into the system in good faith
ought to be able to expect that they will get the benefits that they have been promised. And we ought to guarantee that, even if we have to pay for it out of general revenue.
Source: Arizona Republican Primary Debate
Nov 21, 1999
Alan Keyes:
Let people who earn their money invest their own money
We’ve got to keep the promises we’ve made. But to make [Social Security] solvent, we have to stop making promises we can’t keep. We can’t keep the promise that the government is going to manage money that people earn over the course of their lifetimes
better than the people who earn that money. We go out and work for it, we make the sacrifices, we have the sense to support ourselves, then we ought to be trusted to invest that money in ways that will produce the best return for us and our family.
Source: Arizona Republican Primary Debate
Nov 21, 1999
Blake Masters:
Private retirement accounts: get the government out of it
We've got to cut the knot at some point, though, because I tell you what -- I'mÿnot gonna receiveÿSocial Security --ÿI'm a millennial -- I'mÿa little bit younger than my competitors here.ÿÿI think that's a good thing, by the way -- I think the Senate
could use a dose of energy!ÿBut my kids -- they're not gonna receiveÿSocial Securityÿand we need fresh and innovative thinking.ÿÿMaybe we should privatize Social Security. Private retirement accounts --ÿget the government out of it.ÿ
Source: FreedomWorks 2022 Arizona Senate Forum
Jun 23, 2022
Deedra Abboud:
Hands off Social Security
Social Security was a promise made by the US government to every citizen of this country many years ago. People have not only depended on that promise for several generations, but paid their hard-earned money
to the government for safekeeping so that promise could be kept. Not keeping the promise is bad enough, but breaking the promise because Congress has continuously borrowed from the fund is a slap in the face to every working person.
Source: 2018 Arizona Senate campaign website Deedra2018.com
Jul 17, 2017
Deedra Abboud:
Stop Congress from borrowing from Social Security
Social Security was a promise made by the US government to every citizen of this country many years ago. People have not only depended on that promise for several generations, but paid their hard-earned money to the government for safekeeping
so that promise could be kept. Not keeping the promise is bad enough, but breaking the promise because Congress has continuously borrowed from the fund is a slap in the face to every working person.
Source: 2018 Arizona Senate campaign website Deedra2018.com
Dec 12, 2017
Deedra Abboud:
Don't privatize Social Security
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Privatize Social Security"?
A: Strongly Oppose
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Arizona Senate candidate
Mar 5, 2018
Doug Marks:
Social Security scam is going to cost my generation
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Privatize Social Security"?
A: Yes, this scam is going to cost my generation and those following dearly. It is a known failure, documented yet nothing is done to end it.
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Arizona Senate candidate
Mar 5, 2018
George W. Bush:
Consider raising retirement age
Bush said he would consider raising the retirement age for Social Security benefits as a way to help extend the life of the ailing program.
Source: CNN.com, "GOP Arizona Debates"
Nov 22, 1999
George W. Bush:
Let young people use personal retirement savings accounts
Q: Where do you get the $1 trillion over the next 10 years to continue paying benefits? BUSH: There is a problem for our youngsters. We'll honor our commitment to our seniors. But for our children, we need to have a different strategy. I believe that
younger workers ought to be allowed to take some of their own money and put it in a personal savings account, because I understand that they need to get better rates of return than the rates of return being given in the current Social Security trust.
KERRY: You just heard the president say that young people ought to be able to take money out of Social Security and put it in their own accounts. Now, my fellow Americans, that's an invitation to disaster. The CBO said very clearly that if you were to
adopt the president's plan, there would be a $2 trillion hole in Social Security, because today's workers pay in to the system for today's retirees. We're going to protect Social Security. I will not privatize it. I will not cut the benefits.
Source: Third Bush-Kerry Debate, in Tempe Arizona
Oct 13, 2004
Jeff Flake:
Nobody's talking privatization; ensure solvency after 2026
Q: Privatizing Social Security: is that something that might work in the future?A: We've got to find a way to ensure, first, that the system that is in place now remains solvent for those who've relied on it their entire lives, that we don't
pull the rug out from under those who planned on this. With the Ryan budget, we do that. We say if you are at or near retirement, anybody 55 years of age or older, the system would not change.
For those who are under that, we've got to do some things, we've got to recalculate benefits in a way that will make the system solvent over time and also continue to raise the retirement age beyond what it's going to in
2026 (67 years). The bottom line is, unless we change and reform it, it's not going to be there, so we've got to do it. But I don't think anybody's talking about privatization.
Source: The Sahuarita Sun on 2012 Arizona Senate debates
May 29, 2012
Jim Lamon:
Give workers the option of Universal Savings Accounts
Jim would support fundamental systemic improvements:- Gradually Increase the Benefits Access Age.
- Stop Abuse of the Social Security Disability Fund.
- Universal Savings Accounts. Option for every worker to enjoy the benefit
from investment in the US economy while also creating a tangible, inheritable asset for their children, instead of the government-controlled trust fund model.
Source: 2022 Arizona Senate campaign website JimLamon.com
Apr 20, 2022
John Kerry:
Personal retirement accounts are an invitation to disaster
Q: Where do you get the $1 trillion over the next 10 years to continue paying benefits? BUSH: There is a problem for our youngsters. We'll honor our commitment to our seniors. But for our children, we need to have a different strategy. I believe that
younger workers ought to be allowed to take some of their own money and put it in a personal savings account, because I understand that they need to get better rates of return than the rates of return being given in the current Social Security trust.
KERRY: You just heard the president say that young people ought to be able to take money out of Social Security and put it in their own accounts. Now, my fellow Americans, that's an invitation to disaster. The CBO said very clearly that if you were to
adopt the president's plan, there would be a $2 trillion hole in Social Security, because today's workers pay in to the system for today's retirees. We're going to protect Social Security. I will not privatize it. I will not cut the benefits.
Source: [Xref Bush] Third Bush-Kerry Debate, in Tempe Arizona
Oct 13, 2004
Mark Kelly:
Don't weaken Social Security; nor gamble retirement funds
America made a promise to protect the health and wellbeing of its seniors. Mark will fight to ensure that America keeps that promise to Arizonans. Over lifetimes, workers and small businesses have contributed into Social Security and Medicare so workers
could have a secure retirement that includes health care. Many Arizona seniors rely on Social Security as a key source of income. Mark opposes legislation weakening Social Security or efforts to gamble seniors' retirement security in the stock market.
Source: 2020 Arizona Senate campaign website MarkKelly.com
May 2, 2019
Mark Kelly:
Social Security & Medicare are promises to seniors
America made a promise to protect the health and wellbeing of its seniors. Mark opposes legislation weakening Social Security or efforts to gamble seniors' retirement security in the stock market. Medicare is also a solemn promise made to
Arizona's seniors. Recently, Washington politicians proposed cutting over 800 billion dollars from Medicare. Mark opposes these proposed cuts. Mark also opposes efforts to change Medicare as we know it and turn it into a voucher system.
Source: 2020 Arizona Senate campaign website MarkKelly.com
Jan 15, 2020
Mark Kelly:
Oppose cutting or eliminating funding sources
Q: Your Social Security policy?A: I will always fight to protect Social Security. Arizona seniors have paid into this program their entire lives. For many, these benefits are the difference between a secure retirement & living in poverty. I oppose
plans to privatize or risk it in the stock market. I oppose the proposal to cut funding sources for Social Security, which could lead to insolvency in just a matter of years. Arizona seniors paid on the promise that it would be there when they retired.
Source: AARP Survey on 2020 Arizona Senate race
Oct 9, 2020
Martha McSally:
Let younger workers privately invest part of contributions
Q: Privatization: Support full or partial privatization of Social Security?Martha McSally (R): Possibly. Increase retirement age for younger workers & let them privately invest part of their contributions.
Kyrsten Sinema (D): No. Opposes gambling in stock market with Social Security returns.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Arizona Senate race
Oct 9, 2018
Martha McSally:
Promises made should be promises kept; no privatization
Our seniors deserve the secure retirements they have earned. Promises made should be promises kept, which is why I support protecting Medicare and Social Security for our seniors and for future generations.Decades of politicians kicking the can down
the road has left us with a situation in which if we do nothing, we will not have enough resources to protect Social Security and Medicare for my generation and those who follow, and that is unacceptable.
This is simply a math issue, so we must sit down and identify bipartisan solutions to strengthen these programs for the long haul.
We also must protect Social Security for current seniors and preserve it for future generations who are working now
and paying into it. However, I am against any effort to privatize Social Security because seniors have paid into this program their entire lives and are relying on it for retirement security. We cannot violate our promise to them.
Source: 2014 Arizona House campaign website, McSallyForCongress.com
Nov 4, 2014
Martha McSally:
Protect current benefits; strengthen for younger generations
I promise to protect Social Security for seniors at or near retirement and preserve it for the next generations. If politicians in D.C. do nothing, then Social Security will not be solvent right around the time my generation retires, risking
unnecessary cuts to hard-earned benefits for follow-on generations. So I am committed to bipartisan initiatives that always protect benefits for those at or near retirement while strengthening and preserving benefits for younger generations.
Source: AARP Survey on 2020 Arizona Senate race
Oct 9, 2020
Orrin Hatch:
Consider raising retirement age
Hatch said he would consider raising the Social Security retirement age, and that "everything is on the table because we have to keep this program viable," he said.
Source: CNN.com, "GOP Arizona Debates"
Nov 22, 1999
Richard Carmona:
Raise retirement age; raise payroll tax ceiling above $106K
Q: How bad off are we on Social Security and what's it going to take to save it?A: There's a number of things that have to happen over time. First and foremost, for those people who we've contracted with, the seniors in the room who've paid in to the
system, we owe it to them to honor those contracts. It's not an entitlement, they've paid; they've paid expecting their government will return that investment and help them through their senior years.
On the other hand, as we move forward and we look at what we can do, there are a couple of things. We can raise the ceiling above that $106,000 and say, 'OK, let's get more money into the pot.' We can look at the retirement age. We can't keep running
the system the way we did 50-60 years ago. There are a number of steps we can take to make it solvent over time, but also to reorient and educate people as to what is needed in the future for Social Security.
Source: The Sahuarita Sun on 2012 Arizona Senate debates
May 29, 2012
Ruben Gallego:
Privatizing exposes America's seniors to risks
Social Security is a sacred contract between every American worker. Privatizing Social Security would endanger America's seniors by exposing them to risks that were not part of the deal. Privatizing Social Security would be just plain wrong, and I would
forcefully oppose any efforts to do so.I would also fight any attempt to reduce the funding and effectiveness of Medicare or Medicaid. These programs are critical for millions of Americans and there is no way it will be weakened on my watch.
Source: 2014 Arizona House campaign website, GallegoForArizona.com
May 31, 2014
Tom O`Halleran:
Protect Social Security dangerous privatization schemes
Tom will protect Social Security and Medicare from those who support dangerous schemes to privatize the programs, hand them over the Wall Street or turn them into "vouchers." He knows that Social Security is not an "entitlement program"--
it is a commitment that has been made to America's seniors after a lifetime of work.
Over decades, America's workers and small businesses have paid into the Social Security trust fund, and now they should not have their retirement security threatened by politicians and special interests in Washington.
Social Security is also crucial to the stability of our economy. That is why Tom will always fight against any attempt to privatize Social Security or reduce its benefits.
Source: 2016 Arizona House campaign website TomOHalleran.com
Nov 8, 2016
Page last updated: Feb 18, 2023