Brent Christensen (D)
Brent is opposed to creating “private accounts” by having individuals divert a percentage of their payroll taxes. The whole idea of Social Security was to provide a pool of money that was not subject to vagaries of individual investment decisions or market fluctuations. Individuals who wish to risk their retirement funds in order to gain higher returns have abundant, tax-free mechanisms to do so under current tax laws.
Brent does support a version of the plan floated by former Social Security administrator, Robert Ball. Under this proposal, the trustees of the Social Security Trust Fund would be able to invest a small percentage of the trust fund’s assets in equity markets under rules similar to those that govern institutional pension investors. If managed in a professional manner, these funds can provide additional returns for the trust fund over the long-term.