CNN political race coverage: on Social Security


Al Gore: Use balanced budget to save Social Security, not Wall Street

Gore pledged to make Social Security a top priority, maintain its guaranteed benefit, and make the program more fair for women. Gore’s plan is aimed at keeping Social Security solvent through at least 2050 by continuing to balance the budget, paying down the national debt and using the interest saved from debt reduction to shore up the Social Security Trust Fund. Gore also argued that privatization plans would divert Social Security funds to the stock market and risk taxpayer dollars. He warned that a downturn on Wall Street could bankrupt Social Security, force benefit cuts, or lead lawmakers to increase the retirement age.
Source: CNN.com coverage May 12, 2000

Al Gore: Bush didn’t know Soc.Sec.is federal; don’t trust him with it

Gore spent the day hammering at comments Bush made on Social Security. Bush said his [partial privatization] plan scares some people “because they want the federal government controlling the Social Security, like it’s some kind of federal program.” Gore pressed his frequent argument that Bush’s plan effectively promises about $1 trillion from the Social Security Trust Fund to two groups of people: younger workers paying into the system, and older workers receiving current benefits.

“That program, which is indeed a federal program, reshaped the later years of our human life cycle-and it provided dignity,“ Gore said. ”If four days from a national election, he doesn’t know Social Security is a federal program, that may explain why he has been so willing to loot the money from the trust fund.“

In an earlier appearance in Iowa, Gore was blunter: ”Do you want to entrust the Oval Office to somebody who doesn’t even know Social Security is a federal program?“

Source: CNN.com coverage Nov 3, 2000

Jeb Bush: Allow diverting over 10% to private savings accounts

While his brother, former President George W. Bush, pursued a controversial plan to privatize Social Security, Jeb Bush said in August that he doesn't plan to take a similar path. "It would have made sense back then, now we're way beyond that," Bush said

Earlier this year, Bush took heat from critics after saying that he wants "to phase out this program for others and move to a new system that allows them to have something." After Democrats pounced, accusing the candidate of wanting to destroy entitlements, Bush pushed back, saying he wanted to "reform" the program, not eliminate it.

To help increase retirement savings plans, Bush would encourage "starter 401(k) plans" for small business employees. He also favors the idea of letting small bu

Source: CNN 2015 coverage of 2016 presidential hopefuls Oct 27, 2015

John Kasich: Fix Social Security by lowering benefits

We can't balance a budget without entitlement reform. What are we, kidding? He initially said young people would see "a lot" lower benefit, before correcting himself to say perhaps not "a lot," but some amount. Kasich told reporters that Democrats "basically allowed this program to get to a point where it could go bankrupt" and said they should focus on proposals to fix the problem.
Source: CNN 2015 coverage of 2016 presidential hopefuls Oct 10, 2015

  • The above quotations are from CNN political race coverage.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Social Security.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Barack Obama on Social Security.
  • Click here for more quotes by Donald Trump on Social Security.
2024 Presidential contenders on Social Security:
  Candidates for President & Vice-President:
V.P.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.(I-CA)
Chase Oliver(L-GA)
Dr.Jill Stein(D-MA)
Former Pres.Donald Trump(R-FL)
Sen.J.D.Vance(R-OH)
Gov.Tim Walz(D-MN)
Dr.Cornel West(I-NJ)

2024 presidential primary contenders:
Pres.Joe_Biden(D-DE)
N.D.Gov.Doug Burgum(R)
N.J.Gov.Chris_Christie(R)
Fla.Gov.Ron_DeSantis(R)
S.C.Gov.Nikki_Haley(R)
Ark.Gov.Asa_Hutchinson(R)
Former V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
U.S.Rep.Dean_Phillips(D-MN)
Vivek_Ramaswamy(R-OH)
S.C.Sen.Tim_Scott(R)
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Page last updated: Oct 26, 2024