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Social Security and Medicare

I have always been, and will continue to be, dedicated to working toward a solution so that all who have paid into the Social Security system will benefit fairly.

As it has become increasingly obvious that Social Security will go bankrupt without action, Congress has been working to find a solution. While we continue to work to protect and preserve Social Security for the beneficiaries now on the roles and those near retirement, we must also seek out innovative solutions for the millions of younger Americans who will one day rely on the program.

Social Security provides an important safety net for the senior citizens of our nation and I believe that every American who has contributed to Social Security deserves the benefits for which they have paid. The retirement of the baby boomers represents a huge demographic shift that will greatly impact Social Security. With the cost of living in California rising at an alarming rate and the baby-boom population reaching retirement, it is important that Congress take actions to protect current benefits and ensure long-term solvency of the Social Security program. I remain committed to working in a bipartisan manner to strengthen Social Security for current beneficiaries and future generations.

There are a variety of proposals to address the unfunded liability of the Social Security system. Some plans seek to create voluntary individual retirement accounts to replace the current system, and others would retain part of the current system while adding individual accounts. I believe that younger Americans who want to move towards higher yield investments should have that option as long as today's seniors and near seniors will not be affected by such a transition. I do not support the government investing Social Security funds in the stock market and I will never support legislation that would change current retirees' benefits.

I also support eliminating the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision and restoring benefits to federal, state, and local government workers, that is why I am a cosponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act.

Ensuring the long-term solvency of the Medicare and Medicaid programs is a top priority. One way to improve Medicare's financial outlook is to ensure that the program only pays for services for which reimbursement is due. I support all efforts to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse that exist in the Medicare system today so that Medicare and Medicaid are available to serve America's future generations.

Maintaining solvent and stable Medicare and Social Security programs is paramount to my legislative goals. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress and the President to ensure America continues to maintain strong and reliable Social Security and Medicare systems.