Issue Position: Medicare & Social Security

Issue Position

"I have seen first hand how important Social Security and Medicare are for seniors on a fixed income. Folks work their whole lives to earn the security and well-being made possible through these benefits, and we owe it to them to make good on our promises."

I will not support any plan that ends Social Security or Medicare as we know it by eliminating guaranteed benefits. Turning Medicare into a voucher system will force people to fight with insurance companies over what treatments may or may not be covered. This will only result in higher costs for prescription medication and will cost the average senior thousands of dollars more per year, forcing them to make terrible trade-offs over life-saving treatment.

Medicare should be allowed to negotiate for cheaper drug prices. As a military veteran, I know the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is able to negotiate for cheaper drug prices and the cost savings are significant. It is illogical that a consumer can buy medicines over the counter more cheaply than Medicare, despite its bulk purchasing power. We also need to end the practice of pay-for-delay, which will save taxpayers billions of dollars by prohibiting drug companies from paying competitors from bringing generic pharmaceuticals to market. We also must continue to improve the Medicare system by eliminating waste and fraud while bolstering its value and efficiency.

Social Security benefits are a promise the U.S. government made to every American who pays in to the system and needs to be safeguarded for future generations. Right now if you earn less than $110,100, you are paying the same amount into Social Security as someone who earns over $1 million a year. By fixing that unfairness, we can shore up the Social Security Trust Fund for many more generations.

I would also take steps to make sure that the Social Security Trust Fund is repaid in full for the funds it has loaned during decades of surpluses. One of the greatest strengths of Social Security is that it is financed by a dedicated revenue stream and is self-funding. Social Security has not contributed to this nation's deficit and we can't look to the program to solve our budget crisis.

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