Senator Schumer
I wrote to Senator Schumer asking him to oppose any cuts to social security benefits. Here is his response:
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Thank you for writing to express your concerns over issues impacting retirees - including pensions, Social Security and Medicare. Like you, I believe that it is the government’s responsibility to protect benefits that retirees have worked for their entire lives.
As you probably know, a number of Members of Congress have called for radical cuts to the Social Security Program, including Congressman Paul Ryan’s plan to privatize Social Security. Congressman Ryan and other House Republicans also plan to turn federal Medicare funding into a voucher system to buy private insurance, which would significantly reduce Medicare funding. I am vehemently opposed to privatizing either Social Security or Medicare. That is why I joined the Save Social Security Caucus in the Senate and signed a letter along with 28 other members of the Senate, including Majority Leader Reid, opposing any cuts to Social Security as part of a deficit reduction package.
There is no question that we must make a deliberate effort to reduce our government’s deficit and pay off our debt. We must curb government spending to ensure that essential government services will be available to future generations. This must be done in a way that does not threaten funds that middle class workers have earned over their lifetime.
The best way to shrink our government’s deficit and pay off the debt is through economic growth. We must reignite the true engine of America’s economic growth -a rising, thriving middle class. Federally secured retirement savings programs have helped protect the economic security of the middle class. By protecting the middle class we will be able to pay down our deficit and debt in the long term as the economy continues to grow.
The Senate Committee on Finance, of which I am a member, has primary responsibility over any proposals designed to reform Social Security, Medicare programs or pensions. Hard choices must be made to balance our budget, but they should not come at the expense of hard earned retirement funds and the economic security of the middle class.
Again, thank you for contacting me on this important issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me again if I can be of further assistance on this, or any other matter.
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