Preserving Social Security and Medicare for America's seniors and for future generations is of paramount importance. For 70 years, Social Security has been the safety net for America's seniors. Unfortunately, many of our seniors struggle to make ends meet on the current benefit system. I will never support any proposal that privatizes Social Security or erodes retirement benefits that workers have earned through a lifetime of hard work.
At least one in five seniors depend on Social Security as their sole source of income, but for years, the buying power of these checks has dwindled in the face of skyrocketing health care and prescription drug costs. The costs of prescription drugs are skyrocketing, but cost of living adjustments (COLAs) are not keeping up with these astronomical cost increases. Because of the general deflation due to the economic recession, the Social Security Administration announced seniors would not receive any COLA in 2010 or 2011. This is unacceptable, and it is clear that the formula the Social Security Administration uses to calculate COLAs must change. As a Member of Congress, I will sponsor legislation to change this injustice.