11th Democratic Primary Debate: on Social Security

Bernie Sanders: Incremental adjustments ok, but no Social Security cuts

Sanders: Yeah.

Q: Why are your past comments any less relevant than the vice president's?

Sanders: Incremental adjustments are what I advocated. Adjustments that I advocated and have advocated for years, is among other things, increasing the cost of living assistance. No, you're not going to find me ever calling for cuts to Social Security. Right now, we determine COLAs by looking at inflation for the general population rather than segregating the higher costs that seniors are paying for prescription drugs and for healthcare. That's what I was talking about. Joe and others were enamored with the so-called Bowles-Simpson effort, which included cuts to Social Security or raising the retirement age. I said no.

Joe Biden: Increase Social Security benefits without cuts

Joe Biden: No.

Sanders: You never said that?

Biden: No.

Sanders: All right. America, go to YouTube right now. You were not a fan of the balanced budget amendment, which called for cuts in Social Security? Why don't you just tell the truth here? We all make mistakes.

Biden: I am telling the truth. Why am I rated 96% by the Social Security organizations? I have laid out how I will increase Social Security benefits. I have laid out how I'm going to make sure that it is in fact, paid for. Look at my exchange with Paul Ryan on his desire to try to privatize and/or cut Social Security, and understand how he manipulated it. Are you saying PolitiFact is wrong? In terms of the negotiations on how to deal with the deficit, everything was on the table. I did not support any of those cuts on Social Security.

Joe Biden: Restructure tax code while protecting Social Security

Sanders pointed to aÿspeechÿBiden gave to theÿBrookings Institutionÿin April 2018. Biden's overall message was that the tax code "is widely skewed toward taking care of those at the very top." Sanders plucked out what Biden said about Ryan, but ignored the complete passage which showed that Biden wanted Social Security and Medicare protected, and to accomplish that goal would require making changes to the tax code.

The Sanders campaign omitsÿwhat Biden said next: "We need a pro-growth, progressive tax code that raises enough revenue toÿmake sure that the Social Security and Medicare can stay. It still needs adjustments, but can stay."