|
Tom Udall on Social Security
Democratic Jr Senator; previously Representative (NM-3)
|
|
If you paid into system, you can rely on benefits
One in six New Mexico residents receive Social Security. Nearly 330,000 residents rely on Medicare. America made a promise to our seniors--if you work hard throughout your life, if you pay into the system, then you will be able to rely on
Social Security benefits in retirement. Tom believes that retirement security must be preserved. We need to protect Medicare for our seniors and Medicaid for the most vulnerable among us. Whether it's reimbursement rates through Medicare or closing
the "doughnut hole" that made it harder for seniors to afford life-saving prescriptions, Tom always fights for New Mexico's seniors.
Seniors shouldn't be forced to choose between buying their groceries and buying their medication. They shouldn't have
to worry about affording their mortgage payments and affording their health care. Our seniors have earned their benefits. Tom is committed to making sure those benefit programs remain intact.
Source: Vote-USA.org on 2020 New Mexico Senate race
, Oct 25, 2014
Privatization of Social Security is a very bad idea
On issues important to senior citizens, the two sparred over Social Security. “I think that privatization of Social Security is a very bad idea,” Udall said. “I want it to be there for my children and grandchildren when they retire. I don’t agree with
Steve Pearce’s approach that privatization is the way to go. I think privatization is really a step to undermine Social Security and I would do everything I can to fight against it.”Pearce said the big problem with Social Security is that Congress has
robbed funds from the program and needs to refund them so the program can remain solvent.
But when Udall charged Pearce had continuously voted for privatization, Pearce challenged him. “Tell me one piece of legislation.” Udall said Pearce was a
supporter of Bush’s plan to privatize social security, which ultimately failed.
Pearce said Social Security has a rate of return of about 1%, & supports giving retirees the option of having targeted funds. “We must improve the rates of return,” he said
Source: 2008 N.M. Senate Debate reported in Silver City Sun-News
, Oct 19, 2008
Voted YES on raising 401(k) limits & making pension plans more portable.
Comprehensive Retirement Security and Pension Reform Act of 2001: Vote to pass a bill that would raise the amount individuals may contribute to traditional and Roth Individual Retirement Accounts and to 401[k] plans and make pensions plans more portable
Reference: Bill sponsored by Portman, R-OH;
Bill HR 10
; vote number 2001-96
on May 2, 2001
Voted NO on reducing tax payments on Social Security benefits.
Vote to pass a bill that would reduce the percentage of Social Security benefits that is taxable from 85 to 50 percent for single taxpayers with incomes over $25,000 and married couples with incomes over $32,000. The revenues that would be lost for the Medicare trust fund would be replaced by money from the general fund.
Reference: Bill sponsored by Archer, R-TX;
Bill HR 4865
; vote number 2000-450
on Jul 27, 2000
Voted YES on strengthening the Social Security Lockbox.
Amending the Social Security Lockbox bill to require that any budget surplus cannot be spent until the solvency of Social Security and Medicare is guaranteed.
Reference: Motion to Recommit introduced by Rangel, D-NY;
Bill HR 1259
; vote number 1999-163
on May 26, 1999
Create Retirement Savings Accounts.
Udall adopted the manifesto, "A New Agenda for the New Decade":
Balance America’s Commitments to the Young and the Old
An ever-growing share of the federal budget today consists of automatic transfers from working Americans to retirees. Moreover, the costs of the big entitlements for the elderly -- Social Security and Medicare -- are growing at rates that will eventually bankrupt them and that could leave little to pay for everything else government does. We can’t just spend our way out of the problem; we must find a way to contain future costs. The federal government already spends seven times as much on the elderly as it does on children. To allow that ratio to grow even more imbalanced would be grossly unfair to today’s workers and future generations. In addition, Social Security and Medicare need to be modernized to reflect conditions not envisioned when they were created in the 1930s and the 1960s. Social Security,
for example, needs a stronger basic benefit to bolster its critical role in reducing poverty in old age. Medicare needs to offer retirees more choices and a modern benefit package that includes prescription drugs. Such changes, however, will only add to the cost of the programs unless they are accompanied by structural reforms that restrain their growth and limit their claim on the working families whose taxes support the programs.
Goals for 2010 - Honor our commitment to seniors by ensuring the future solvency of Social Security and Medicare.
- Make structural reforms in Social Security and Medicare that slow their future cost growth, modernize benefits (including a prescription drug benefit for Medicare), and give beneficiaries more choice and control over their retirement and health security.
- Create Retirement Savings Accounts to enable low-income Americans to save for their own retirement.
Source: The Hyde Park Declaration 00-DLC7 on Aug 1, 2000
Rated 100% by the ARA, indicating a pro-senior voting record.
Udall scores 100% by the ARA on senior issues
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. The Alliance believes that all older and retired persons have a responsibility to strive to create a society that incorporates these goals and rights and that retirement provides them with opportunities to pursue new and expanded activities with their unions, civic organizations and their communities.
The following ratings are based on the votes the organization considered most important; the numbers reflect the percentage of time the representative voted the organization's preferred position.
Source: ARA website 03n-ARA on Dec 31, 2003
Rated 100% by ARA, indicating a pro-Trust Fund stance.
Udall scores 100% 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.
-
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: Aug 29, 2021