Does Senator Tillis Support Trump’s Plan to Defund Social Security?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 10, 2020

Does Senator Tillis Support Trump’s Plan to Defund Social Security?

Tillis Criticized Creation of Social Security, Medicare in April

Executive Order Would Destabilize Funding for Those Programs

Raleigh, N.C. - Over the weekend, President Trump announced a series of executive orders, including a cut to payroll taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare. Experts say the plan is unlikely to actually boost wages for workers, would not benefit the unemployed, and destabilizes funding for programs that millions of Americans rely on in retirement.

Yesterday, The Intercept revealed that as recently as April 2020, Senator Thom Tillis was openly criticizing the creation of Medicare and Social Security on conservative talk radio, singling out the New Deal and Great Society legislative programs as times when “a lot of bad occurred, a lot of things that we’re still dealing with.”

“It is baffling that in 2020 Senator Thom Tillis is still questioning the creation of Social Security and Medicare, programs that ensure that millions of North Carolinians can retire and live with dignity,” said Piedmont Rising Executive Director Casey Wilkinson. “Tillis’ energy would be better spent protecting North Carolina’s retirees from the Trump administration’s disastrous plan to destabilize Social Security and Medicare by cutting their funding. In the midst of a public health and economic crisis, Tillis should be unequivocally clear that any Trump administration action that puts these programs at risk is unacceptable.” 

More than two million North Carolinians rely on Social Security every month, including more than 300,000 people with disabilities and 135,000 children.

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