Dianne Byrum (D)
Social Security
The first priority for our hard-earned budget surplus dollars should be protecting Social Security… not an across-the-board tax cut. I would also separate Social Security surplus funds from the overall budget. Congress cannot spend Social Security dollars if we take them "off-budget."
I will be vigilant about protecting the solvency of Social Security. In particular, I will fight against any proposal that raids the system under the guise of privatization. To create options in saving for retirement, I support additional programs that allow tax-free savings. However, those new programs must not take money out of Social Security for private investment.
My mother was widowed when I was 17 years old. After running our local gas station for over twenty years, her retirement has been comfortable; but that's not true for many older women, whose Social Security benefits can be cut in half when their husband passes on, forcing many into poverty. I'll protect those Social Security benefits, so that widowed seniors have a secure retirement.
I oppose raising the retirement age for Social Security. Seniors like my mother worked hard and played by the rules their entire lives. They deserve a secure retirement, not a mandate of more years at work.