October 7, 2022

PRESS

RELEASE: Nonpartisan Social Security Expert, WA Seniors Raise Alarm about How Tiffany Smiley Would Jeopardize Social Security, Medicare

October 7, 2022

Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works: “For Washington voters who care about making sure Social Security is there for them in the future, the choice between candidates could not be more clear”

“Social Security and Medicare keep people from becoming destitute… it’s not a privilege that we get — it’s a right, having paid into it”

***Watch press call HERE***

(Seattle, WA) – Today, Social Security Works President Nancy Altman joined Washington State Senator Karen Keiser (LD-33) and Washington seniors to hold MAGA Republican Tiffany Smiley accountable for the positions she has taken that could jeopardize Social Security and Medicare, and to discuss why Patty Murray is the clear choice this November for Washington seniors and anyone who wants Medicare and Social Security to be there for them in the future. Video of the press call is available here.

“Tiffany Smiley has repeatedly indicated her openness to ending Social Security and Medicare as we know it. She has said she supports Rick Scott’s agenda — which would be disastrous for Social Security and Medicare — and has left the door wide-open to cutting future benefits,” said Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works. “Senator Murray understands Social Security is a promise the federal government must keep, and she’s working to expand and protect these vital programs. For Washington voters who care about making sure Social Security is there for them in the future, the choice between candidates could not be more clear.”

“As the senior Senator in the Washington State Senate, I know how much our seniors count on their Social Security and Medicare benefits that protect people from huge health care costs and extreme poverty,” said Washington State Senator and President Pro Tempore Karen Keiser. “We need a strong advocate in Washington DC who goes to bat to protect Social Security and Medicare — that person is Patty Murray. These programs are way too important to Washington seniors to leave in the hands of Mitch McConnell’s handpicked candidate, Tiffany Smiley, who supports policies that would put them on the chopping block.”

“Not only are Medicare and Social Security important to seniors, but they  are really important to people who have been disabled and are under the age of 65, and those who have chronic illnesses,” said Peggy, a Washington state resident. “Medicare and Social Security are a really huge help to people in these situations. I had a friend whose husband had a devastating disease, he was 55, and they needed a lot of care — they would have been bankrupt without help from Social Security and Medicare. These are really important programs and we absolutely need to safeguard these benefits for people.”

“My husband and I retired in the last year. Both of us worked from the time that we were able to work, and paid into the system — and if not for Social Security and Medicare, we would be running down our savings and not have any safety net for the future. Social Security and Medicare keeps people from becoming destitute, it keeps people from becoming homeless, and it’s not a privilege that we get — it’s a right, having paid into it,” said Sheryl, a Washington state resident. “I have no reason to trust Tiffany Smiley. She has stated publicly that she supports Rick Scott’s plan except for raising taxes — his plan is to sunset all the federal programs in five years, including Social Security and Medicare, and there’s no guarantee that those two programs would be reinstituted. Patty Murray has a long track record of supporting these programs, and that’s why I’m voting for her.”

Tiffany Smiley has repeatedly indicated her openness to ending Social Security and Medicare. She has stated she supports Senate Republican Campaign Chair Rick Scott’s policy agenda that — according to a wide range of reporting — would end Social Security and Medicare as we know it. Smiley has also said she supports “Balanced Budget” amendments, which severely undermine programs like Social Security and Medicare. And Smiley even said she would “not touch benefits for people who are receiving or near to receiving Social Security” — indicating she would be perfectly fine cutting benefits for everyone else.

In contrast, Senator Murray believes that Social Security and Medicare are promises the government must keep for all Americans. Murray also recently helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which for the first time allows Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug costs and will cap Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket prescription drugs costs at $2,000 a year, cap their insulin costs at $35 a month, and cap price increases on their prescriptions — helping the more than 1.4 million Medicare recipients in Washington state save money on their prescriptions.

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