State of Wisconsin Archives: on Social Security
Alex Lasry:
Expand Medicare to cover vision, hearing, and dental
But we can't stop there. Healthcare simply costs too much, especially for seniors. Even as they are covered by Medicare, Wisconsin seniors are getting nickeled and dimed by rising out of pocket costs.
That's why I support adding vision, hearing and dental coverage to Medicare, and why I support allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower prescription costs.
Source: 2022 Wisconsin Senate campaign website AlexLasry.com
Nov 16, 2019
Bernie Sanders:
Lift cap on wealthy: at $250,000 program lasts 58 years
We should lift the cap on taxable income coming into the Social Security Trust Fund, starting at $250,000. We expand Social Security by $1,300 a year for people under
$16,000, and we extend the life of Social Security for 58 years. The wealthiest people will pay more in taxes. I will do everything I can to expand Social Security benefits, not just for seniors, but for disabled veterans, as well.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Feb 11, 2016
Bob Harlow:
Balance budget but protect Social Security and Medicare
Bob's Statement on the Republican Tax Bill: America needs a balanced budget that protects Social Security and Medicare and makes investments in innovation, infrastructure and defense. The Republican party doesn't care.
They have one priority while in power: Max out Uncle Sam's credit card and send checks to their donors.
Source: 2018 Wisconsin Gubernatorial campaign website BobHarlow.net
Dec 27, 2017
Bryan Steil:
No changes to seniors' rights of Medicare & Social Security
Q: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recently said the only way to lower that deficit would be to cut social safety net programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Is that something that you're willing to accept? A: Medicare and
Social Security are promises we made to seniors. Those are promises we need to keep. There should be no changes. As you look to that generation much further down--my generation and younger--it's an approach of how do we pull together a bipartisan
review to determine how can we make these programs sustainable for future generations? But for the generation that's in retirement and approaching retirement age, we don't need to cut or negatively impact those individuals.
And part of that is why I'm so focused on government spending across the board, to make sure that our spending is in line so that we can honor that promise that we made to seniors for those in particular in retirement now and approaching retirement age.
Source: Wisconsin Public Radio on 2018 WI-6 House debates
Mar 20, 2019
Hillary Clinton:
Expand Social Security for most vulnerable first
Rather than expand benefits for everyone, I want to take care of low-income seniors who worked at low-wage jobs. I want to take care of women. When the Social Security program was started in the 1930s, not very many women worked. Women have been
disadvantaged ever since. They do not get credit for their care-taking responsibilities. We have no disagreement about the need to buttress Social Security. I want to start by helping those people who are most at risk.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Feb 11, 2016
Kelda Helen Roys:
Oppose privatizing Social Security
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Privatize Social Security"?
A: Strongly Oppose
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Wisconsin Governor candidate
May 5, 2018
Leah Vukmir:
Personal Retirement Accounts for portion of payroll taxes
Q: Support full or partial privatization of Social Security?Tammy Baldwin (D): Long opposed.
Leah Vukmir (R): Backed Personal Retirement Accounts for portion of Social Security payroll taxes.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Wisconsin Senate race
Oct 9, 2018
Mike Gallagher:
Preserve and protect our most effective anti-poverty program
My clear stance on Social Security: I am dedicated to preserving and protecting Social Security. Like over 50 million American senior citizens, my grandmothers and great uncle rely on Social Security each month and I've seen the importance of this
program firsthand. This has been the most effective anti-poverty program in our nation's history and we must ensure it remains in place for generations to come.Social Security is the single most important commitment we have made to our seniors
and retirees and we must ensure it remains a secure economic safety-net for generations to come. As a Member of Congress:
- I will work with leaders from both sides of the aisle to protect
Social Security.
- I will oppose efforts to privatize the system.
- I will push Congress to stop ignoring this critical issue before it's too late.
Source: 2016 Wisconsin House campaign website MikeForWisconsin.com
Nov 8, 2016
Phil Anderson:
End mandatory participation in Social Security
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Privatize Social Security"?
A: Keep the promises we've made but end mandatory participation.
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Wisconsin Governor candidate
May 18, 2018
Sarah Godlewski:
Proposed state programs to promote retirement security
Godlewski and the Governor's Task Force on Retirement Security released five innovative, bipartisan, and cost-effective solutions to ensure Wisconsinites can retire with financial security and peace of mind -- including a brand-new program for
Wisconsinites to save at birth and a state-facilitated retirement plan for nearly one million Wisconsinites without access to a plan through their employer. The new policy proposals are the centerpiece of the Retirement Security Task Force report.
Source: 2022 Wisconsin Senate: GovDelivery.com press release
Feb 10, 2021
Scott Walker:
Increase public employee pension payments to 5%
For years, our employees have been asked to do more with less. However, the difficult reality is that healthcare costs and pension costs have risen dramatically and that has created a benefit system that is simply unsustainable. Government benefits have
grown while so many others in the private sector have seen their benefits adjusted in order to protect jobs. Currently, most state employees pay next to nothing from their salaries toward their pension, while the state's taxpayers pay more than $190
million each year on state employees' behalf. Similarly, most state workers only pay about 6% of their premium costs for their health care plan. Asking public employees to make a pension payment of just over 5% (which is about the national average) and a
premium payment of 12% (which is about half of the national average) would save the state more than $30 million over three months. Most workers outside of government would love a deal like that--particularly if it means saving jobs.
Source: 2011 Wisconsin State of the State Address
Feb 1, 2011
Tammy Baldwin:
Long opposed to privatization
Q: Support full or partial privatization of Social Security?Tammy Baldwin (D): Long opposed.
Leah Vukmir (R): Backed Personal Retirement Accounts for portion of Social Security payroll taxes.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Wisconsin Senate race
Oct 9, 2018
Eric Hovde:
Trim benefits; raise the retirement age
Hovde has frequently referred to programs like Social Security and Medicare as "entitlements" rather than earned benefits that Americans paid into throughout their working lives--and has said benefits "absolutely" need to be trimmed.
Last time Hovde ran for Senate, he talked repeatedly about the need to put Social Security benefits further out of reach from many Americans by moving the retirement age.
Source: Up North News on 2024 Wisconsin Senate race
Feb 15, 2024
Eric Hovde:
Adjust for younger people, life expectancy going up
Hovde: I believe we need to protect Social Security. Keep it sacrosanct for everybody who is on Social Security or getting ready to retire. If you want to know why Social Security is in trouble, it is simple. We have taken federal debt from
$5.5 billion to $36 trillion. We would have kept Social Security in a trust and not pilfered from it like you have. We have to look at things for Social Security for those younger people because life expectancy is going up, make adjustments for that.
Baldwin: We can extend the solvency of Social Security very easily. It's called lifting the income cap. Right now, multimillionaires like my opponent pay minute amounts. They are not doing their fair share. If we lifted that income cap,
the solvency would be extended for many years. Let me tell you about something even more troubling: The plan that reverts and resets spending levels to levels from the last decade would cut social security by 28%.
Source: C-Span transcript of 2024 Wisconsin Senate debate
Oct 18, 2024
Tammy Baldwin:
Extend solvency of Social Security by lifting income cap
Baldwin: We can extend the solvency of Social Security very easily. It's called lifting the income cap. Right now, multimillionaires like my opponent pay minute amounts. They are not doing their fair share. If we lifted that income cap,
the solvency would be extended for many years. Let me tell you about something even more troubling: The plan that reverts and resets spending levels to levels from the last decade would cut social security by 28%.
Hovde: I believe we need to protect Social Security. Keep it sacrosanct for everybody who is on Social Security or getting ready to retire. If you want to know why Social Security is in trouble, it is simple. We have taken federal debt from
$5.5 billion to $36 trillion. We would have kept Social Security in a trust and not pilfered from it like you have. We have to look at things for Social Security for those younger people because life expectancy is going up, make adjustments for that.
Source: C-Span transcript of 2024 Wisconsin Senate debate
Oct 18, 2024
Page last updated: Feb 07, 2026