State of Minnesota Archives: on Social Security
Jason Lewis:
Protect Social Security for seniors today & future retirees
A promise made is a promise kept. We absolutely must protect Social Security for today's seniors and those nearing retirement, while ensuring the program is solvent for future generations. The Congressional Budget Office puts the 75-year imbalance in
Social Security at $200 billion so if no bipartisan solution is reached, benefits for seniors will be reduced by 21% in 2034. Something we cannot afford to do, however, is raise taxes on social security recipients or payroll taxes on today's working
families and citizens. Even doubling the maximum earnings subject to the FICA tax wouldn't substantially reduce the imbalance and would threaten economic growth and jobs vital to the program's solvency in the process. Likewise, means-testing benefits
would also undermine support for a federal program designed to be available for all workers at retirement. We must put politics aside and enact bipartisan measures to ensure that benefits are protected for today's seniors and our future retirees.
Source: 2016 Minnesota House campaign website JasonLewis2016.com
Nov 8, 2016
Jason Lewis:
Guarantee Social Security benefits through economic growth
Q: How would you guarantee Social Security benefits for future generations?A: The best way to guarantee Social Security benefits is through economic growth so that payroll tax revenue continues to stream in. We also need to get a handle on other
entitlement programs, such as Medicaid, which would allow more funds to be available for Social Security. Entitlement reform is something we did when I served on the Budget Committee in Congress and I look forward to continuing that effort in the Senate.
Source: AFA iVoterGuide on 2020 Minnesota Senate race
Nov 3, 2020
Jim Newberger:
Social Security must be protected
Social Security must be protected. We have all paid into this system and our government has promised that our funds will be there when we retire.
As your next U.S. Senator, I will make protecting Social Security one of my highest priorities. Every working American deserves to have their futures protected. MAGA!
Source: 2018 Minnesota Senate campaign website JimForUSSenate.com
Feb 22, 2018
Jim Newberger:
Don't privatize Social Security
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Privatize Social Security"?
A: Oppose.
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate
Mar 15, 2018
Mark Dayton:
Keep Social Security intact
I promise to keep Social Security intact, not take a single dollar out of it. The only real threat to Social Security today are those who would undermine it by diverting some or even most of the funds now going into Social Security
for other private accounts or other purposes. My plan would require that surpluses in the Social Security trust fund be set aside exclusively for the benefit of the program.
Source: Minnesota Newspaper Association Election Questionnaire
Jul 2, 2000
Mark Dayton:
People shouldn't have access to withholdings; too risky
Dayton said allowing people access to their Social Security withholdings endangers the security of retirees. "It's not a system designed to have people become millionaires," Dayton said. "We don't want them to lose everything either."
Source: By Bob Collins, Minnesota Public Radio on-line
Nov 6, 2000
Mike McFadden:
Discuss raising the eligibility age for social security
In an Associated Press interview, McFadden endorsed the concept of a path to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally, and expanded background checks for gun sales.
McFadden also says there should be a discussion of raising the eligibility age for social security and Medicare. He's opposed to federal tax increases and abortion.
Source: Associated Press on 2014 Minnesota Senate race
Jul 23, 2013
Mike Murphy:
Minnesota must re-evaluate taxing Social Security benefits
Our seniors have spent their lives investing into the system; they deserve Social Security and Medicare, and Mike will not tolerate decreasing benefits or reduced medical reimbursements for seniors.
With the costs of goods and services rising, an overwhelming number of seniors now live at the poverty level. Minnesota must re-evaluate taxing Social Security benefits or, at minimum, adjust the income tax brackets.
Source: 2022 Minnesota governor campaign website MikeMurphyForMN.com
Feb 16, 2021
Norm Coleman:
For private investment of IRA's, but against privatization
The Coleman campaign calls the Wellstone TV ad misleading because it implies that Coleman proposes to invest Social Security trust fund money in the stock market. What Coleman calls for is the creation of individual retirement accounts in which
Americans could voluntarily invest a percentage of their Social Security withholdings in stocks and bonds. Coleman's plan would allow workers, roughly age 50 and under, to privately invest two of the 13 cents per dollar they earn that's withheld
for Social Security. [The new Coleman ad says]: "I don't support privatizing Social Security and I'll fight against anybody who would do that. A Coleman spokesman says Wellstone is wrong in equating Coleman's support for individual retirement accounts
with Social Security privatization. [A political analyst notes that] until the stock market plunged, supporters and opponents of the type of accounts Coleman is promoting generally referred to their plans as plans to privatize Social Security.
Source: Minnesota Public Radio, Election 2002 coverage
Sep 20, 2002
Paul Gazelka:
Taxes on Social Security income drives seniors away
Gazelka said there were several factors building up to a workforce shortage in Minnesota, including young college graduates not staying in the state, taxes on social security income driving seniors away, and Minnesota's welfare benefits being
better than in surrounding states. Mandating certain industries to vaccinate employees for COVID-19 would also drive workers away, he said.
Source: Marshall Independent on 2022 Minnesota Gubernatorial race
Nov 10, 2021
Paula Overby:
We need a safe way to save for retirement
Q: Do you support or oppose privatizing Social Security? A: Oppose--What we really need is a safe way to save for retirement. Social security was created to address poverty among an aging population and some will say it's a pay as you go system, not
a retirement plan. But for millions, it is their only source of retirement income. $5.6 Trillion dollars in retirement funds held in trust by the federal government is not an asset owned by the public, it is a debt held by the public in the form of
US treasury notes. The money has already been spent.
Q: What about IRAs?
A: Private plans like IRA's do build asset value but these plans are also vulnerable to market exploitation. I believe we should continue to have public and private
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate
May 13, 2018
Tina Smith:
Raise payroll cap; no to raising eligibility age
Regarding Social Security funding, Smith said she would support changing the payroll earnings limit but did not favor increasing the age of eligibility for recipients.
Medicare also needs reforms and she advocates allowing Medicare to negotiate prices with the drug companies in the same fashion utilized by the Veterans Administration.
Source: ABC Newspapers on 2020 Minnesota Senate race
Oct 4, 2018
Tina Smith:
No privatization nor cuts to benefits
Social Security is the bedrock of economic and retirement security of the American middle class. Tina believes we should expand Social Security and ensure that it remain solvent in the long term. Tina strongly opposes serious threats to these programs
like privatization and steps to cut benefits. She also opposes the recent Republican tax bill, which adds $1.5 trillion to our national debt and risks major cuts to Social Security and Medicare.
Source: 2020 Senate campaign website TinaForMinnesota.com
Aug 13, 2019
Tim Walz:
Regulate assisted-living centers for elder abuse
To protect Minnesota seniors, Governor Walz signed historic, bipartisan elder abuse legislation to regulate assisted-living centers for the first time.
He also allocated $173 million in direct funding for 340 nursing homes across the state.
Source: 2022 Minnesota Governor campaign website mn.gov/Governor
Aug 6, 2024
Tim Walz:
Establish Council on Age-Friendly Minnesota
There are one million older adults in Minnesota and that figure is growing rapidly. In 2020, the number of older adults in Minnesota over age 65 will exceed the number of children under age 18. Older adults may face challenges related to financial
security, housing, transportation, health care, employment, and social service needs. In addition, thousands of direct support workers and the estimated 650,000 family and friends who provide unpaid caregiving are struggling to meet the ever-increasing
demand for care.The Council on Age-Friendly Minnesota will:- Elevate the voice of older adults in developing the vision and action plan for an age-friendly state.
- Identify opportunities for, and barriers to, collaboration among state agencies
responsible for public-private partnerships.
- Catalyze age-friendly work at the local level
- Establish a statewide framework to tap into the potential presented by our aging communities and elevates aging across all of Minnesota.
Source: Minnesota voting records: Executive Order 19-38
Dec 11, 2019
Tina Smith:
Allow public servants to get full Social Security payments
Senator Tina Smith released a statement on the Senate's vote to pass the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act. The bill would repeal outdated provisions that drastically reduce Social Security benefits for public servants like police officers,
firefighters, postal workers and teachers."Everyone should be able to retire with dignity, but because of outdated provisions, that's not a reality for thousands of
Minnesota's public servants who aren't able to get their full Social Security benefit," said Smith. "This legislation is a win for our firefighters, our teachers, our postal workers and our public safety officers who have given so much to
our communities. They deserve their full Social Security payments. I'm proud to have supported this bill and pushed hard for its passage."
Source: KIMT on 2026 Minnesota Senate race
Dec 21, 2024
Jeff Johnson 2018:
End the taxation of social security benefits
I believe we need to cut taxes and reduce the size and power of government. We'll start by cutting income taxes, the death tax and license tab fees,
ending the taxation of social security benefits and instituting an Automatic Taxpayer Refund when government over-taxes Minnesotans.
Source: 2018 Minnesota JohnsonForGovernor.org campaign website
Sep 1, 2018
Angie Craig:
We need to keep Medicare and Social Security fully funded
Social Security and Medicare are a promise that we've made to America's seniors--if you work hard and play by the rules, affordable health care and the dignity of a secure retirement will be within your reach. In order to keep this promise,
we need to keep Medicare and Social Security fully funded and combat any attempts to privatize or defund them.
Source: 2026 Minnesota Senate campaign website craig.house.gov
Jul 24, 2025
Page last updated: Feb 07, 2026