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Joe Biden on Social Security
Former Vice President; previously Democratic Senator (DE)
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Where would elderly be now if funds were in stock market?
RYAN: Social Security is going bankrupt. If we don't shore up Social Security, when we run out of the IOUs, a 25% across-the-board benefit cut kicks in on current seniors in the middle of their retirement. We're going to stop that from happening.
BIDEN: We will not privatize it. If we had listened to Romney and the congressman during the Bush years, imagine where all those seniors would be now if their money had been in the market. Their ideas are old, and their ideas are bad.
Source: 2012 Vice Presidential debate
, Oct 11, 2012
Raise the $97,500 cap, but don’t raise retirement age
Q: Would you raise the cap for Social Security tax above the current level of the first $97,500 worth of income?A: The answer is yes. The truth is, you’re either going to cut benefits or you’re going to go ahead and raise taxes above the first $97,000
Q: Would you also, considering now life expectancy is 78, consider gradually raising the retirement age?
A: Well, we did that once, I supported that. That’s what got it solvent to 2041. By simply raising the cap, you can solve the problem.
Source: 2007 Democratic primary debate at Dartmouth College
, Sep 6, 2007
Prevent senior fraud by educating seniors about caution
Too often, senior citizens are targeted for everything from telemarketing fraud & home-repair scams, to investment & securities fraud. Predators take advantage of seniors because they are more wealthy than the average citizen, more trusting than younger
adults, and more susceptible to being coerced. They are less mobile, and more susceptible to scams that promise to deliver goods or services seniors find difficult to obtain on their own. The best way to fight senior fraud is to prevent it from
happening. Seniors should be cautious when making an investment. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. They should be careful not to give their credit card or checking account number to someone they don’t know. They should never give their
social security number to anyone.
Let’s not let heartless criminals victimize a generation of Americans who have already given so much to preserve and protect this nation. Rather, let’s put our justice system to work to keep every senior safe & secure.
Source: Press release, “Fraud Protection Important for Seniors”
, Nov 6, 2002
Voted NO on Social Security Lockbox & limiting national debt.
This vote limited debate on the amendment offered by Sen. Abraham (R-MI) that would have created a Social Security "lockbox" and establish limits on the public debt. [A YES vote was for a lockbox]. This vote failed because 3/5 of the Senate did not vote.
Status: Cloture Motion Rejected Y)54; N)45; NV)1
Reference: Motion to invoke cloture on Amdt #254 to S. 557;
Bill S. 557
; vote number 1999-90
on Apr 22, 1999
Voted YES on allowing Roth IRAs for retirees.
Senator Roth (R-DE) offered this amendment to the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act to allow people older than 70.5 with incomes over $100,000 to move funds from an Individual Retirement Account into a Roth IRA.
Status: Amdt Agreed to Y)56; N)42; NV)2
Reference: Roth Amdt #2339;
Bill H.R. 2676
; vote number 1998-120
on May 6, 1998
Voted NO on allowing personal retirement accounts.
Vote on an amendment expressing the sense of the Senate that the Finance Committee should consider legislation to use the federal budget surplus to establish personal retirement accounts as a supplement to Social Security.
Reference:
Bill S.Con.Res.86
; vote number 1998-56
on Apr 1, 1998
Voted YES on deducting Social Security payments on income taxes.
Vote on an amendment to establish an income tax deduction for Social Security taxes paid by employees and the self-employed.
Reference:
Bill S Con Res 57
; vote number 1996-140
on May 22, 1996
Rated 89% by the ARA, indicating a pro-senior voting record.
Biden scores 89% by the ARA on senior issues
The mission of the Alliance for Retired Americans is to ensure social and economic justice and full civil rights for all citizens so that they may enjoy lives of dignity, personal and family fulfillment and security. The Alliance believes that all older and retired persons have a responsibility to strive to create a society that incorporates these goals and rights and that retirement provides them with opportunities to pursue new and expanded activities with their unions, civic organizations and their communities.
The following ratings are based on the votes the organization considered most important; the numbers reflect the percentage of time the representative voted the organization's preferred position.
Source: ARA website 03n-ARA on Dec 31, 2003
Page last updated: Mar 15, 2019