Issue Position: Social Security and Medicare -- Fighting for our Senior Citizens

Issue Position

Mike knows that Social Security is a contract between the American people and the American government. It reflects the duties and values we share as Americans. We owe it to our grandparents, parents, and most importantly our children, to ensure its vitality. Today, Social Security provides benefits to almost 55 million retired and disabled workers and their families, and it is the biggest source of retirement income in the United States.

Mike strongly opposes any plan to privatize Social Security. Social Security is the foundation of our retirement security, and it should be a guarantee -- not a gamble. Now more than ever, as Americans face job losses, failing pension plans, and rising health care costs, we must work to strengthen the foundation of this program.

Furthermore, Mike is supporting an important bill in Congress that would make much needed improvements in the calculation of the Social Security COLA. This legislation would ensure that senior citizens purchasing habits and expenditures for consumption are taken into consideration for COLA computations. By doing this, a more fair and accurate COLA would be calculated for Social Security benefits.

Finally, Mike strongly opposes the "Ryan Budget" which would dismantle Medicare and turn it into a voucher program that would leave senior citizens with increasingly staggering medical bills.

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