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John Edwards on Social Security

Democratic Nominee for Vice President; NC Jr Senator


Don't divert payroll taxes to private accounts

I oppose diverting payroll taxes to private accounts but support offering matching accounts to workers on top of Social Security. I oppose raising the retirement age or cutting COLAs.
Source: 2004 Presidential National Political Awareness Test Mar 3, 2004

Keep stock market out of Social Security

Q: Can the stock market be a component of the Social Security retirement system?

EDWARDS: No, I don't believe it can. I think we have to do a number of things. One is, in order to lengthen the financial viability of Social Security, the single most important thing is to get away from this deficit spending that this president has put us in and move back to fiscal responsibility.

Source: Debate at Pace University in Lower Manhattan Sep 25, 2003

Federal match for every dollar put into savings

We have a train wreck coming. We have the onslaught of the baby boomers coming. We have government that's in deficit, getting deeper into deficit. What we ought to do is help people save. We have one of the worst private savings rates in the world. I would match dollar for dollar the savings of middle-income families to allow them to save privately to help us address this problem.
Source: Debate at Pace University in Lower Manhattan Sep 25, 2003

Voted NO on using the Social Security Surplus to fund tax reductions.

Vote on a motion to table (or kill) the motion to recommit the bill to the Senate Finance and Claims Committee with instructions directing the committee to "correct the fact that the bill uses" Social Security surpluses for tax breaks.
Bill S.1429 ; vote number 1999-236 on Jul 30, 1999

Voted NO on Social Security Lockbox & limiting national debt.

This vote limited debate on the amendment offered by Sen. Abraham (R-MI) that would have created a Social Security "lockbox" and establish limits on the public debt. [A YES vote was for a lockbox]. This vote failed because 3/5 of the Senate did not vote.
Status: Cloture Motion Rejected Y)54; N)45; NV)1
Reference: Motion to invoke cloture on Amdt #254 to S. 557; Bill S. 557 ; vote number 1999-90 on Apr 22, 1999

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

Edwards 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

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Other candidates on Social Security: John Edwards on other issues:
NC Gubernatorial:
Mike Easley
NC Senatorial:
Elizabeth Dole
Erskine Bowles
Jesse Helms
Lauch Faircloth
Richard Burr

Presidential:
George W. Bush
(Republican for President)
V.P.Dick Cheney
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Sen.John Kerry
(Democratic nominee for Pres.)
Sen.John Edwards
(Democratic nominee for V.P.)
Ralph Nader
(Reform nominee for Pres.)
Peter Camejo
(Reform nominee for V.P.)
David Cobb
(Green nominee for Pres.)
Michael Badnarik
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Michael Peroutka
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