Issue Position: Social Security & Medicare

Issue Position

By any measure, our nation's entitlement programs are on the path to insolvency. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), about 47 cents of every federal dollar spent went to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and interest on the federal debt. Absent action, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid will soon grow to consume every dollar of revenue that the government raises in taxes.

Washington politicians would rather continue to play politics on these issues and use scare tactics than enact meaningful reforms.

To save Social Security and Medicare, Carl DeMaio believes the political games have to end in both parties and bipartisan action must be taken.

Carl DeMaio has experience in fixing unsustainable retirement programs. As leader of the San Diego Pension Reform Initiative, Carl DeMaio transformed the city's retirement system into a sustainable one -- and restored the promise of retirement security.

Carl DeMaio will defend Medicare from raids by politicians. That is why he opposes the $700 billion raid on Medicare funding enacted in 2009. As part of comprehensive health care reform, Congress should be passing reforms to cut the costs and improve the coverage of Medicare.

Nearly two-thirds of the elderly get at least half of their income from Social Security, and one in five elderly Americans has no income other than Social Security.

Carl DeMaio will insist that we keep our Social Security commitments to the American people, both for those already retired and those who will retire in the future.

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