Issue Position: Retirement Security

Issue Position

Social Security and Medicare are two of the most successful programs in our country's history, helping millions of seniors retire with dignity and economic wellness. Congresswoman Frankel knows that seniors have spent a lifetime paying into Social Security and Medicare and saving for their retirement, and rejects efforts to balance the budget on the backs of seniors by cutting benefits or privatizing these bedrock government programs.

Frankel is working hard to ensure these programs are preserved for not only current retirees, but for the next generation of seniors. That's why she supports applying payroll taxes to higher incomes over the current cap of $118,500 so that all Americans pay their fair share to support the sustainability of our Social Security program. She also believes that the federal government should be allowed to negotiate for cheaper prescription drugs in Medicare like it does for the Veterans Administration and Medicaid. This proposal could save Medicare up to $500 billion.

Medicare fraud and abuse cost taxpayers 50 to 100 billion dollars each year, threatening the security of the Medicare trust fund. In response, Frankel has introduced the Fighting Medicare Fraud Act. This legislation closes a loophole that corrupt CEOs and parent corporations have used to keep exploiting Medicare and adds tough new penalties for illegally stealing or distributing medical identification numbers. In addition, Frankel helped to pass a proposal to eliminate Social Security numbers from Medicare ID Cards -- one of the leading causes of medical identity theft.

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