Issue Position: Social Security

Issue Position

The seniors community in southern Nevada is the fastest growing in the nation and currently over 300,000 Nevadans receive Social Security benefits. I have consistently fought attempts to raid the Social Security Trust Fund and the partial privatization of Social Security. I oppose the President's plan for Social Security. The partial privatization of Social Security would gut the system by cutting benefits while exacerbating its financial challenges. The President's current proposal to create private accounts would cut the average worker's benefits by 46% and add $5 trillion to the national debt.

If the Republican Social Security proposal to cut Social Security was in effect today, Nevada seniors would see their guaranteed monthly benefits drop an average of $391, and their annual benefit fall to $5,520. This would place Nevada seniors at $2,700 below the poverty line.

On related issues, I have worked to correct the "Notch" problem and help those seniors affected by this inequity. In 1977, the way Social Security benefits were to be computed substantially changed and many of those born in the years 1916 to 1931--the Notch years--have stated that the changes caused their benefits to be lower than those who were born before and after them. I am a proponent of repealing the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which reduces Social Security benefits of retired government employees. For some retired government employees who survive their spouses, a portion of their public pension benefits are deducted from their Social Security survivor benefits, while others are subjected to a deduction from their own Social Security benefits. These deductions are unfair and penalize government employees who have worked their lifetimes to save for their pensions and have contributed to the Social Security system.

Source