When I consider some of our truly great achievements in America, I think of Social Security. Social Security functions as a trust fund that all Americans pay into so that we can all receive money back in retirement or an emergency.
It’s the reason many of our grandparents and great-grandparents can retire. It’s why our community leaders, whether they work as teachers or electricians or nurses, don’t have to worry about keeping a job until their bodies burn out, and why families can survive the loss of a spouse or support a loved one with a disability.
At its core, Social Security reflects an important American promise: that after a lifetime of work, you deserve to retire knowing the country you have supported will support you right back.
That promise is now at risk. The trust funds will run dry in 2033. Worse yet, according to the non-partisan Committee for a Responsible Budget, President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” has brought that date even closer, to 2032, after Republicans ended streams of revenue that contribute to the trust fund with no plan to restore it and help everyday Americans. In short, we only have a few years to ensure that benefits are not significantly reduced for people receiving Social Security.
To be clear—this is a bipartisan issue: Half of all American seniors rely on Social Security for at least half of their income, and it is the SOLE source of income for one in every four seniors.
I refuse to be part of a generation that gives our kids less than what we inherited. I will fight to protect Social Security for decades to come and ensure every American can live and retire with dignity.
Social Security: A 100 Year History
Social Security is an amazing example of a bipartisan achievement. The “compact between generations” dates back to the 1930s, in the midst of the Great Depression.
President Roosevelt and Frances Perkins with Congressional Leaders (Creative Commons)
Back in the 1930s, nearly half of American seniors lived in poverty. There was no support for the disabled or families who had lost breadwinners. In fact, the only government program at the time that even resembled Social Security was a pension for Civil War veterans. For those who wanted to retire, unless you had saved your money under your mattress over the years, you were just out of luck.
Frances Perkins, the first woman to ever serve in a presidential cabinet, spearheaded Social Security’s creation. Perkins, President Roosevelt, and leaders of both parties recognized the need to lift Americans out of poverty without requiring Americans to work every single day for the rest of their lives. So they envisioned a system where everyone would pay in, and everyone would benefit.
In 1935, the bill creating the Social Security Program passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. 81 Republicans joined 284 Democrats to vote ‘yes.’ That means less than 14% of Representatives voted against the bill, showing just how popular the idea was from the get-go.
Over the years, Congress continued to refine and fund Social Security. Social Security Disability Benefits were added to the program in 1956. The addition lent much-needed support to many Americans with disabilities and their loved ones. Over time, benefits to seniors increased. More and more Americans across industries became eligible. And in 1983, bipartisan Congressional majorities passed legislation that ensured Social Security would pay benefits for decades to come.
Social Security persevered with bipartisan support because it works. The poverty level for senior Americans plummeted—from 50% to now only about 10% (which is still too high!). And beyond seniors, now people with disabilities or spousal survivors are able to lead more secure and dignified lives.
At the same time, Americans are incentivized to work hard, knowing that one day we will be supported by the younger generation just as we support the generation before us. Most importantly? Everyone pays their fair share to build the America we want to see.
Social Security is for Present and Future Generations.
Today, 184 million Americans pay into Social Security. 64 million retired Americans receive benefits.
That includes hundreds of thousands of people right here in our district, from Eastpointe to Rochester. In Michigan, nearly 1.5 million households receive Social Security. A large percentage of those families rely on the program as their only source of income.
The positive effects of Social Security are widespread. The system doesn’t just benefit workers who can one day receive income upon retirement. Survivor benefits help millions of Americans each year with the devastating financial effects of losing a family member. Over 7 million Americans rely on disability insurance each month.
Social Security is essential for many of today’s children, too. In 2024, almost 10.5% of children lived with adults who relied on Social Security. That means at least one in ten American children benefits from Social Security.
As the only parent in this race (and at a time when less than 7% of Congress are moms of young kids!) I don’t just view Social Security as a promise to our parents and grandparents. It’s also a promise to our children. Fighting for Social Security means fighting for all kids, including foster children, to make sure their benefits are saved for their future, not taken from them.
My Plan: Protect Social Security’s Promise.
The Social Security Program is overwhelmingly popular. In fact, it’s one of the most popular federal programs in existence. Polls show that a supermajority of Americans say that Social Security is a beneficial system.
So why would we try to eliminate that?
Most Republican plans regarding Social Security fall into a few buckets: either cut benefits, phase out Social Security entirely, or raise the age at which our community members can start collecting those benefits.
I believe that we don’t have to do either. We can extend Social Security solvency for decades while ensuring everyone gets the benefits they were promised through smart, straightforward, budget-conscious changes. In Congress, I will:
1. Reject Attempts to Cut the Benefits Promised to Working and Middle-Class Americans
Working and Middle-Class people across our district rely on Social Security. As Americans, I believe that we have to protect the vulnerable, no matter what. When the going gets tough, we don’t shrug our shoulders—we work harder to ensure that everyone is protected and can live comfortably and with ample opportunities.
Hardworking families have spent decades of their lives paying into this system. Changing Social Security’s retirement age, or cutting benefits to the folks who need it the most, would be breaking a promise that spans generations. I will reject any such cuts to Social Security, disability, or survivor benefits.
2. Ensure Social Security Is Funded for Decades
To ensure benefits remain, we also need to protect Social Security solvency. Under changes from the Trump administration, Social Security funds will be drained by 2032, meaning automatic benefit reductions for millions of seniors.
Many families already struggle to live on Social Security alone. These reductions would only make the situation more dire. But just like the generations before us, we can protect Social Security with common sense, bipartisan legislation:
Eliminate the Social Security Funding Cap
In 2026, once someone earns $186,500, they stop contributing to Social Security. That means a family making $150,000 is taxed on every dollar they make to support Social Security.
Billionaires, on the other hand, will stop paying into Social Security just a few hours into the New Year, after they earn that 186,501st dollar.
Everyone who pays taxes benefits from Social Security, and everyone should contribute comparably. Small changes can have a significant impact when the wealthiest among us take responsibility for supporting our communities. Eliminating this Funding Cap alone would extend Social Security solvency for decades: nearly 75% of Social Security’s long-term funding shortfall would be eliminated—allowing the trust funds to remain solvent for roughly 35 years longer than currently projected.
Billionaires benefit from our country, from hardworking American citizens, and from American social programs just as you and I do. Ensuring that they pay a similar percentage from their millions in income as everyday Americans isn’t a radical idea. It’s just common sense.
Eliminate Corporate Loopholes
For decades, corporations have exploited loopholes that let them avoid paying their fair share into Social Security. Those loopholes remain because corporate interests have had too much influence in Washington.
I answer only to the people of this district—not corporate PACs. I’m the only candidate in this race who refuses corporate PAC money, and I will vote to close these loopholes so everyone pays their fair share into Social Security.
Cap COLAs for the Top 25%
Each year, Social Security benefits receive a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) to keep up with inflation. That’s essential—but it doesn’t need to benefit the highest earners the same way it benefits everyone else.
A sensible reform would cap COLA increases for the top 25% of beneficiaries, while preserving full inflation protection for the vast majority of seniors. Everyone would still receive COLAs, but those with the largest lifetime incomes would see smaller adjustments.
This change alone could save up to $115 billion over 10 years, significantly strengthening Social Security’s long-term solvency without cutting benefits for low- or middle-income retirees.
Like eliminating the funding cap, modernizing COLAs is a practical, responsible step to ensure Social Security keeps its promise for generations to come.
Let’s Keep the Promise
Social Security is more than a line item in the federal budget. It is a promise we make to one another across generations. It’s fundamentally the promise of the American Dream: if you work hard, contribute, and play by the rules, your country will be there for you when you need it most. It’s how we ensure dignity in retirement, stability after loss, protection for people with disabilities, security for children who depend on it, and affordability for our working families.
That promise is now at risk—not because Social Security doesn’t work, but because too many leaders in DC are deeply disconnected from everyday life. They have chosen inaction or given tax cuts to the wealthy, and they shifted the burden onto working families. I refuse to accept that. I don’t want future generations to end up like the seniors before 1935, where half of them live in poverty. We should honor our seniors—now and in the future.
We can fully fund Social Security for decades without cutting benefits for the folks who need it most or raising the retirement age. We can protect our seniors, survivors, people with disabilities, and children—the exact folks this program was designed to protect—and make life more affordable for our working families.
In Congress, I will fight to protect Social Security, strengthen it, and ensure it keeps its promise. Not just for today’s retirees, but for every generation that comes next.
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Together, we can keep the promise.
