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Mike Lee on Social Security
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Raise the retirement age to save Social Security
Granato and Lee disagreed about how to handle illegal immigration, gays in the military, radioactive waste disposal in Utah and how to save Social Security.
On Social Security, Lee said Americans must raise the retirement age to save it. Granato said Social Security must be protected, but without that step.
Source: Salt Lake Tribune coverage of 2010 Utah Senate debate
, Sep 17, 2010
$50 trillion in unfunded entitlements is unsustainable
Three entitlement programs--Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid--are on a course that is as disturbing as it is unsustainable. Through these programs, Congress has promised to provide roughly $50 trillion in "unfunded" benefits to
Americans who are alive today--that is, benefits for which Congress lacks the financial means to pay. This is irresponsible. While current Social
Security beneficiaries must be held harmless, there needs to be a systemic overhaul to these programs, lest they bankrupt the country.
To do so, people will need to realize that the benefits those older generations have had, may not be available in the future. But to not overhaul these programs cannot be postponed or overlooked any longer like the problem is going to go away.
Source: 2010 Senate campaign website, www.mikelee2010.com, "Issues"
, Jul 19, 2010
Rated 13% by ARA, indicating a mixed record on senior issues.
Lee scores 13% 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.
- Alliance members visit the polls in record numbers. We use the power of our membership and our Congressional Voting Record to educate and mobilize seniors to elect leaders committed to improving the lives of retirees and older Americans.
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We are effectively warding off cuts to our most important social programs like Social Security and Medicare. Our Human Chain Against the Chained CPI events in the summer of 2013 took place in more than 50 cities and mobilized support for stopping this cut to earned Social Security benefits.
- We blocked the privatization of Social Security with our Social Security "Truth Truck" delivering 2.1 million petitions to Members of Congress and other tactics.
- The Alliance makes its voice heard on the issues that matter not just to current retirees, but to all Americans who hope to retire one day. We were a leading voice in recent debates considering changes to Medicare, like replacing guaranteed benefits with a voucher system, and remain so in 2014.
Source: ARA lifetime rating on incumbents of 113th Congress 14_ARA on Jan 1, 2013
Page last updated: Dec 28, 2021