I never understood why they called Social Security an Entitlement Program. It is my retirement investment to which I contribute every single month. Like you, I will only be able to retire with dignity if we protect and expand Social Security. In fact, I’m your only candidate for U.S. Senate who’s willing to make that commitment. 

When my opponent, Cynthia Lummis, was in Congress, she attempted on multiple occasions to raise the retirement age over time (H.R. 867, 2011; H CON RES 27, #138, 2015). Such a proposal would disproportionately rob low-income seniors, who have lower life expectancies than the rich, of their hard-earned benefits. On top of that, Representative Lummis voted against protecting Social Security from privatization (H J RES 48, Vote #178, 2011). As this year’s economic crises demonstrate, making Social Security vulnerable to the fickle nature of the market puts the income of seniors in danger. 

If that weren’t bad enough, the current administration, to which my opponent is unabashedly loyal, has suggested forgiving deferred payroll taxes as well as eliminating the payroll tax entirely - a proposal which, if implemented, would bankrupt Social Security by 2023. Speaking as someone who – unlike Representative Lummis – isn’t a multimillionaire, I’d prefer to receive my Social Security checks when I retire.

But this isn’t just about me. 58% of seniors say Social Security is their major source of income. And given that 4.3 million of the 18 million workers aged 55-64 in 2012 will be poor or near poor at age 65, any cuts would devastate their livelihoods. Social Security is our nation’s greatest tool in the fight against poverty. To be precise, without Social Security, 21.7 million more Americans would be poor – including almost 15 million elderly folks and 1.2 million children. 

Our state is especially vulnerable. Because Wyoming's aging population is growing 20% faster than the national average, but our number of family caregivers is shrinking, we would be particularly shaken by slashing the income of seniors. In Wyoming, 41% of seniors would be below the poverty line if they did not have Social Security, and 30% of Wyomingites rely on it as their only source of income. 

In the Senate, I will work to revise the cap system to preserve the trust fund without trampling on the support seniors have earned through their working lives. I’ll fight to expand benefits for the seniors who need it most. Seniors - all seniors - deserve to live in dignity. When I’m in the Senate, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that happens.