FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 9, 2022
Contact: Linda Benesch, lbenesc
Midterms Prove Cutting Social Security Remains the Third Rail of Politics
(Washington, DC) — The following is a statement from Alex Lawson, Executive Director of Social Security Works:
“Republican politicians have long been hostile to Social Security, but they used to try to hide it. This is the year the mask came off.
Republicans nominated candidates who openly supported cutting, privatizing, and ultimately destroying Social Security. The head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), proudly campaigned on a plan to put Social Security and Medicare on the chopping block every five years.
Last night, Republicans paid the price for their blatant attacks on Social Security. They massively underperformed expectations, with one of the worst ever midterm performances by a party that doesn’t control the White House. Democratic champions of protecting and expanding Social Security, including Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA), and Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA), won hotly contested races.
Democrats, including President Joe Biden, focused heavily on Social Security during the campaign. They made sure voters knew about Republican threats to the program, and promised that Democrats would protect Social Security. Now, it’s time for Democrats to keep that promise by raising or eliminating the debt ceiling in the final months of the year, so that Republicans can’t use it as leverage to force cuts to Social Security and Medicare.
After last night, it’s clear that cutting Social Security remains the third rail of American politics. Republicans just got shocked.”
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