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Ben Ray Lujan on Social Security

 

 


Privatization means gutting the promise our seniors earned

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is facing heavy backlash from Democrats over a remark in which he talked about "a backdoor for privatizing Social Security." Sen. Ben Ray Lujan said Wednesday in a post on X that Bessent was "saying the quiet part out loud."

"That means gutting the promise our seniors earned and dismantling Social Security as we know it."

Source: The Hill, "Backdoor," on 2026 New Mexico Senate race , Jul 31, 2025

Reject privatization; don't raise the retirement age.

Lujan signed the Social Security Protectors Pledge

Some 200 Democratic House and Senate candidates have signed on to a pledge rejecting any effort to privatize or scale back Social Security benefits or raise the retirement age. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee sponsored this pledge among Congressional candidates.

Source: PCCC Survey 10-PCCC on Aug 11, 2010

Rated 100% by ARA, indicating a pro-Trust Fund stance.

Lujan scores 100% Alliance for Retired Americans

Scoring system for 2014: Ranges from 0% (supports privatization and other market-based reforms) to 100% (supports keeping federal control over Trust Fund and Social Security system).

About ARA (from their website, www.RetiredAmericans.org):

The Alliance for Retired Americans is a nationwide organization, founded in May 2001, with now over 4.2 million members working together to make their voices heard in the laws, policies, politics, and institutions that shape our lives. 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.

Source: ARA lifetime rating on incumbents of 113th Congress 14_ARA on Jan 1, 2013

Other candidates on Social Security: Ben Ray Lujan on other issues:
NM Gubernatorial:
Deb Haaland
Gregg Hull
Jay Block
Mark Ronchetti
Michelle Lujan-Grisham
Rebecca Dow
Steve Lanier
NM Senatorial:
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Matt Dodson
Nella Domenici

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