Seniors should not have to spend their retirement days in poverty. That’s why I am opposed to any attempts to cut or privatize Social Security. We need to strengthen it, not start hacking away at one of the fundamental agreements between our government and the American people. However, now that Republicans have increased the deficit with their GOP tax scam, they are now looking to make cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security to make up the difference. We must hold them accountable for their reckless tax plan and work tirelessly to ensure that they do not use it as a justification to make significant cuts to the programs that millions of older Americans rely on.

I support fully funding our Medicare and Medicaid obligations and ending the windfall elimination provision, which forces low-paid public employees outside the Social Security system, like educators, to lose a significant portion of their Social Security benefits. I have also co-sponsored legislation to end the windfall elimination provision and the government pension offset, which makes it more difficult for spouses of former government employees to enjoy full Social Security benefits.

In addition, we need to fight back against attempts to privatize Social Security that would put the fate of millions of Americans’ retirements in the hands of Wall Street, which has already proved that they cannot be trusted. Moreover, we must ensure that the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share into the system by removing the cap on taxable earnings.