Issue Position: Seniors

Issue Position

We have an obligation to keep our promises to our seniors. We must ensure the solvency of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. At a critical time when our government is still figuring out how to meet their obligations to our seniors, Congress voted to increase federal spending and add more people to the entitlement rolls. This is financially reckless! Before expanding entitlement programs, the government ought to figure out how to ensure the solvency of the senior programs it has already committed to funding. It's just plain wrong to put our seniors' health and financial security at risk.

The health care legislation passed this year cuts Medicare by a half a billion dollars in order to fund the expansion of entitlements. At the same time, Medicare already maintains a $38 trillion unfunded liability; Medicaid which pays for long-term care has trillions more in unmet needs; and Social Security's surplus has evaporated. Unless we strengthen these programs, government will be forced to either raise payroll taxes by 30 percent, or cut benefits by nearly 25 percent.

It is the job of our leaders to look not just toward their next election, but to look out for the long-term stability of our nation's finances. Unfortunately, both Republicans and Democrats have failed to do this in the past. As your next representative I will be committed to reforming these programs so we can maintain the benefits our seniors count on, while ensuring that these programs are solvent and available for future generations.

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