I believe it’s wrong to count the Social Security and Medicare trust funds as part of the federal budget surplus.  That’s why I sponsored a bill to tell the politicians in Washington to keep their hands off the Social Security and Medicare trust funds.  I’m pleased that the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare has endorsed my legislation.  That money should be used for Social Security and Medicare benefits as it was intended, not for tax cuts or other spending programs as some in Washington have suggested.

I also think that it’s time that we truly modernize Medicare to include medicine for our seniors.  Medicare is the only health insurance plan that I know of that does not include medicine, yet it’s the plan that nearly every single senior citizen in America relies on day-in and day-out to stay healthy and get well.  I support creating a voluntary but guaranteed prescription drug benefit for every senior citizen in America.

Social Security and Medicare provide a lifeline for millions of seniors across America.  I will continue to fight to see that these programs are there for our seniors today and for generations to come.