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Donna Edwards on Social Security

 

 


Fought privatization in community AND in Congress

Edwards hit her rival on retirement programs, saying that "when it was time to cut a deal, Mr. Van Hollen was willing to consider--those are his own words--cuts to Social Security and Medicare." She also noted that he recently endorsed a bill that would expand Social Security benefits, which she also supports.

Van Hollen pushed back, saying he led the effort to persuade President Obama not to cut Social Security by using a less-generous cost-of-living formula.

Edwards, a community activist before taking office, painted herself as an outsider. Although Van Hollen said he fought President George W. Bush's attempt to privatize Social Security in Congress, Edwards--who was not elected until 2008--said that the outside pressure campaigns she was involved in had at least as much impact.

Source: Wash. Post coverage of 2016 Maryland Senate debate , Mar 5, 2015

Reject privatization; don't raise the retirement age.

Edwards signed the Social Security Protectors Pledge

Some 200 Democratic House and Senate candidates have signed on to a pledge rejecting any effort to privatize or scale back Social Security benefits or raise the retirement age. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee sponsored this pledge among Congressional candidates.

Source: PCCC Survey 10-PCCC on Aug 11, 2010

Exclude Medicare and Social Security from deficit reduction.

Edwards signed Sense of Congress on Deficit Reduction

    Expresses the sense of Congress that:
  1. any deficit reduction plan put forward by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction should not balance the budget by eroding America's hard-earned retirement plan and social safety net;
  2. Medicare's ability to deliver high quality health care in a cost-efficient manner should be strengthened and its benefits should be preserved for current and future retirees;
  3. appropriate reform to strengthen Social Security's long-term outlook should ensure that it remains a critical source of protection for the people of the United States and their families without further increasing the retirement age or otherwise decreasing benefits; and
  4. federal funding for the Medicaid program should be maintained so that senior citizens, poor and disabled children, and others with disabilities are able to gain and retain access to affordable health care.
Source: H.CON.RES.72 11-HCR72 on Aug 1, 2011

Sponsored keeping CPI for benefits instead of lower "Chained CPI".

Edwards co-sponsored Resolution on CPI

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION expressing the sense of the Congress that the Chained Consumer Price Index (CPI) should not be used to adjust Social Security benefits.