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John Delaney on Social Security
Democratic candidate for President; U.S. Rep from MD-6
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We didn't make private pensions illegal for Social Security
When we created Social Security, we didn't say pensions were illegal, right? We can have big ideas to transform the lives. We need to have solutions that are workable. Can you imagine if we tried to start Social Security now but said private pensions
are illegal? That's the equivalent of what Senator Sanders and Senator Warren are proposing with health care. That's not a big idea. That's an idea that's dead on arrival.
Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit)
, Jul 30, 2019
Social insurance programs have cut senior poverty by 50%
Social Security, which became law in 1935, is a shining example of a smart, progressive policy that accomplishes an important social justice objective. At the time it was implemented, about half the senior citizens in the US lived in poverty. Over the
next 50 years, it helped cut that number by more than 50%.There's nothing about the accounting that's tricky or complicated. If you look at the system like a ledger, we simply need the income line to be equal to or greater than the expenditures line--
not always, but most of the time.
If Social Security were to remain insolvent over any length of time, it would then correctly be labeled an "entitlement" program, as opposed to what it actually is, a "social insurance" program.
The program's
finances are reasonably good for the near term, but the best estimates show that it will become insolvent by 2034--just 16 years from now. If we make a few small adjustments soon, we can fix the problem. If we wait, the fixes will be vastly more painful.
Source: The Right Answer, by Rep. John Delaney, p.159-62
, May 29, 2018
Don't cut or privatize program that has been so successful
Social Security is a promise, and as your Congressman it's one I intend to keep. For more than 75 years, Social Security has remained one of our most important and successful government programs. Today this program keeps more than 13 million
Americans out of poverty. For countless more it makes a middle class retirement possible. The last thing we need to do is cut a program that has been so successful.
We must preserve this crucial program for future generations without cutting benefits or making radical and irresponsible changes. In Congress, I will defend Social Security and fight any attempts to privatize it.
The program is generally sound, but
some changes will need to be made to make sure we can keep this promise to future generations. I will support common sense measures such as making sure that wealthy Americans pay the same payroll tax rate into Social Security as everyone else.
Source: 2012 House campaign website, delaney2012.com, "Issues"
, Nov 6, 2012
Opposes personal retirement accounts.
Delaney opposes the PVS survey question on privatization
Project Vote Smart infers candidate issue stances on key topics by summarizing public speeches and public statements. Congressional candidates are given the opportunity to respond in detail; about 11% did so in the 2012 races.
Project Vote Smart summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: 'Social Security: Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts?'
Source: Project Vote Smart 12-PVS-q6 on Aug 30, 2012
Rated 90% by ARA, indicating a pro-Trust Fund stance.
Delaney scores 90% 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 14, 2019