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Rand Paul on Social Security
Republican Kentucky Senator
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Eliminate payroll tax for employees
What is extraordinary about my tax plan is it gets rid of the payroll tax. Ours is 14.5 percent for corporations, 14.5 percent for individuals.
No payroll tax for the employee. The business tax pays for social security, and there would be two remaining deductions--home mortgage and charity.
Source: Fox Business/WSJ Second Tier debate
, Nov 10, 2015
Shifting payroll tax to business helps middle class the most
RUBIO: [In my tax plan], the greatest gains, percentage-wise, for people, are gonna be at the lower end of our plan, and here's why: because in addition to a general personal exemption, we are increasing the per-child tax credit for working families.
PAUL: Much of the discussion is centered over whether or not the different tax plans help the middle class. In fact, it's the chief argument by Democrats against many of the different flat tax proposals. Mine is unique in the sense that my tax plan
actually gets rid of the payroll tax as well. It shifts it to the business, and it would allow middle class people to get a tax cut. If you just cut their income tax, there isn't much income tax to cut. Mine actually cuts the payroll tax, and I think it
would spread the tax cut across all socioeconomic levels, and would allow then it to be something that would be broadly supported by the public in an election.
CRUZ: Rand's plan is a good plan. My 10% plan also eliminates the payroll tax.
Source: GOP `Your Money/Your Vote` 2015 CNBC 2nd-tier debate
, Oct 28, 2015
Gradually raise the age, if we're serious about fixing it
The question always is, what works better, the private marketplace or government? It always seems to be the private marketplace does a better job. Can you have Medicare or Social Security? Yes. But you ought to acknowledge the government doesn't
do a very good job at it. I have a bill to fix Medicare. I've a bill to fix Social Security. For both of them you have to gradually raise the age. If you're not willing to gradually raise the age, you're not serious about fixing either one of them.
Source: GOP "Your Money/Your Vote" 2015 CNBC 1st-tier debate
, Oct 28, 2015
Raise eligibility age; and means-test benefits
The [eligibility] age will have to gradually rise. It's the only way you fix Medicare, the only way you fix Social Security. You will also have to means-test the benefits and declare there's not enough money. It isn't "I put money in, I'm getting it
back." There is no money, it's a stack of paper. There is no money in the Social Security account. There is no money in the Medicare account. There's only a promise to pay by the next generation, and the next generation's not big enough to pay it.
Source: GOP "Your Money/Your Vote" 2015 CNBC 1st-tier debate
, Oct 28, 2015
Get rid of payroll tax to give working class a tax cut
Our companies, and jobs are being chased overseas by a 70,000 page tax code, so, that's why I've chosen to get rid of the whole thing, and have one single rate, 14 and a-half percent for everybody, business, and for corporate income, and personal income.
But, we also get rid of the payroll tax, so the working class would get a tax break as well. So, I think a flat tax, eliminating the tax code, getting rid of all the loopholes, is the way to go, and it's the way we get America going again.
Source: 2015 Republican two-tiered primary debate on CNN
, Sep 16, 2015
Raise retirement age to save program for younger generation
Combined with years of wasteful spending by decades of career politicians in Washington, the Social Security trust fund has been left in a fragile condition. Millions of Americans depend on Social Security and if we are to keep our promises to them.
Continuing to push Social Security reforms into the future will only make solving the problem harder and will require more painful changes for seniors.During my time in the Senate, I have worked on proposals that would fix the shortfalls in the
Social Security program through a gradual increase in the age of full retirement and by means testing yearly earnings, while preserving those benefits for near and current retirees. These changes would only apply to younger Americans who have time to
plan for the future.
As President, I will remain committed to fixing the Social Security program, while preserving the system for seniors who have planned their lives around the program & implementing reforms to save the program for younger generations
Source: 2016 presidential campaign website, RandPaul.com, "Issues"
, Apr 7, 2015
Raise the retirement age to deal with Baby Boomers
I promise we won't do anything to change benefits for those currently receiving Social Security. But we have the baby boomers getting ready to retire; subsequently doubling the amount of people already dependent on an unsustainable system. To just say
we're going to keep borrowing more money simply will not work. We must reform the program for younger Americans, including adjusting eligibility requirements. To sustain our current system, we may need to raise the retirement age for future generations.
Source: The Tea Party Goes to Washington, by Rand Paul, p.200
, Feb 22, 2011
Raise retirement age gradually; allow opting out
With regard to entitlement reform, it has to happen. There isn't any question that it will happen. It's whether we do it gradually in a rational manner, or whether we wait until there's a collapse of the country and we have to do it dramatically.
Everybody knows the answer. I said it in my campaign. The Republicans attacked me for it and so did the Democrats. The age of Social Security will have to gradually rise. I got a note from a young man who worked in the campaign, and he may be here today.
He said, thanks for proposing the $500 billion in budget cuts, thanks for tackling the Social Security problem and then, I wouldn't mind opting out of Social Security. Is there anybody here who would like to opt out of Social Security? We need bold
leadership. We can't have this incrementalism. It's not going to be enough. You need bold leaders who will stand up & say, this should be done in Washington, but this should be left to states and localities respectively. One person can make a difference.
Source: Speech at 2011 Conservative Political Action Conference
, Feb 11, 2011
I've never challenged constitutionality of Social Security
Conway is the public face of a new push led by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee that is targeting GOP candidates who support privatizing or cutting Social Security. "Rand Paul, the Tea Party leader running against me for Senate in Kentucky,
thinks Social Security is unconstitutional," Conway says in a letter to supporters of the progressive group. Joining Conway are some 200 other Democratic House and Senate candidates who have signed on to a pledge rejecting any effort to privatize or scale
back Social Security benefits or raise the retirement age.In an interview with ABC News, Conway said that Social Security represented an "area of stark contrast in the race." During the course of the campaign, Paul has suggested raising the retirement
age and Conway has alleged his opponent believes Social Security is unconstitutional.
It's a claim that Paul denied as recently as Sunday night: "I've never challenged it and I do not challenge the constitutionality of it," Paul said at a debate.
Source: ABC News coverage of 2010 Kentucky Senate debate
, Oct 18, 2010
Raise the retirement age for people under age 55
Q: If you want to get serious about the national debt, you have to do something about entitlements. Tell me of a single benefit you would reduce?PAUL: Well, you don't do anything to people who are currently receiving Medicare or Social Security.
But we do have to admit that we have the baby boom generation getting ready to retire. There will have to be changes for the younger generation.
Q: So you would raise the retirement age?
PAUL: For younger people, yes.
Q: So higher deductibles or higher premiums, for people 55 or younger?
PAUL: Yes. You're going to have to have eligibility changes for the younger people.
And I think all younger people, if they're honest and will admit to it and have an adult discussion and not demagogue the issue, will admit that younger people will have to have different rules.
Source: Fox News Sunday, 2010 Kentucky Senate debate
, Oct 3, 2010
Social Security is a Ponzi scheme
Facts on Paul: Called Social Security a "Ponzi scheme" and Medicare "socialism," but opposes cuts to the medicare reimbursement he receives as a physician.
Source: DSCC "Meet the Republicans" opposition research
, Aug 21, 2010
Supports private retirement accounts.
Paul supports the CC survey question on private retirement accounts
The Christian Coalition voter guide [is] one of the most powerful tools Christians have ever had to impact our society during elections. This simple tool has helped educate tens of millions of citizens across this nation as to where candidates for public office stand on key faith and family issues.
The CC survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: "Allowing individuals to invest a portion of their Social Security tax in private retirement accounts"
Source: Christian Coalition Survey 10-CC-q6 on Aug 11, 2010
Rated 17% by ARA, indicating a mixed record on senior issues.
Paul scores 17% Alliance for Retired Americans
Scoring system for 2014: Ranges from 0% (supports privatization and other market-based reforms) to 100% (supports keeping federal control over Trust Fund and Social Security system).
About ARA (from their website, www.RetiredAmericans.org):
The Alliance for Retired Americans is a nationwide organization, founded in May 2001, with now over 4.2 million members working together to make their voices heard in the laws, policies, politics, and institutions that shape our lives. 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.
- Alliance members visit the polls in record numbers. We use the power of our membership and our Congressional Voting Record to educate and mobilize seniors to elect leaders committed to improving the lives of retirees and older Americans.
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We are effectively warding off cuts to our most important social programs like Social Security and Medicare. Our Human Chain Against the Chained CPI events in the summer of 2013 took place in more than 50 cities and mobilized support for stopping this cut to earned Social Security benefits.
- We blocked the privatization of Social Security with our Social Security "Truth Truck" delivering 2.1 million petitions to Members of Congress and other tactics.
- The Alliance makes its voice heard on the issues that matter not just to current retirees, but to all Americans who hope to retire one day. We were a leading voice in recent debates considering changes to Medicare, like replacing guaranteed benefits with a voucher system, and remain so in 2014.
Source: ARA lifetime rating on incumbents of 113th Congress 14_ARA on Jan 1, 2013
Page last updated: Dec 29, 2021