Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst said at a recent town hall meeting in Emmet County that politicians should “sit down behind closed doors” as a way to avoid public scrutiny when discussing was to fix Social Security policy.
A video clip of Ernst this past Saturday at a school in Estherville shows the Republican senator responding to a question from the audience.
“How do we sustain Social Security for some of our younger workers?” asked Ernst. “We know that there is a point in time when we as Congress will have to address the situation, and I think it’s better done sooner rather than later, to make sure that we shored up that system.
“So, it’s a broader discussion for another day,” she continued, “but I do think as various parties and members of Congress, we do need to sit down behind closed doors so we’re not being scrutinized by this group or the other, and just have an open and honest conversation about what are some of the ideas that we have for maintaining Social Security in the future.”
Social Security reform is a taboo topic in Washington, Ernst said, leaving most lawmakers unwilling to broach the sensitive topic.
“The minute you say we need to address Social Security, the media is hammering you, the opposing party is hammering you — there goes granny over a cliff,” Ernst said, in the midst of her first re-election campaign. “But there is a real issue out there, and as long as we are being hammered as members of Congress for even saying we need to do something about it, you’re not going to find people that are willing to step forward and do it.”
Ernst, who in the past has said she has at least considered privatizing Social Security as a possible option for reform, said at the Saturday town hall, “A lot of changes need to be made in this system going forward.”
“I think it’s smart that we do that now, rather than wait until the very last minute when we have folks that are actually in jeopardy.”
By Elizabeth Meyer
Posted 9/4/19
39 Comments on "Ernst: Need To “Sit Down Behind Closed Doors” For Social Security Fix"
Great. Senators vote to steal trillions from the Social Security system and then the voters that it needs fixing. Yeah, what’s needs fixing is a gate that keeps those senators from getting their hands on that money.
Social Security and other “entitlements ” must somehow, be reformed; as does the entire budgetary process. But, at least on paper; we are a Constitutional Representative Republic; and one of our “representatives ” said that discussion of public expenditures should be addressed in private?
Is that not; a bit odd?
It’s not odd, it’s WRONG. It affects every citizen, this is OUR country and the gov has NO business discussing/deciding serious things like this BEHIND CLOSED DOORS??? We are getting SO screwed over by this admin and GOP sens and reps. VOTE BLUE IN 2020. These people are so dishonest and ONLY think about money and what benefits THEM. Crooked SOBs.
I am like many citizens, I have worked many years, paid into social security for my retirement. This money we have worked for out of our pockets. It is insulting to call it an entitlement.this is nothing the government has done.and absolutely no on privatizing it. Leave it alone.it is not meant for any other uses.and we demand the 2.8trillion dollars be put back in that was taken. It was not free money to be taken by anyone.you people have no rights to do anything with it. We didn’t get to vote. The answer would have been, HELL NO.
Absolutely 100% right on the money!!! Couldn’t have said it better.
We need that “lock box” Gore talked about sounded crazy then but seems safer than congress or any other entity being able to access our money.
That’s right it’s “our” money. I saw Trumps plan it was mailed to my home it involved privatization you are 100% correct to say HELL NO!
I love the idea of the rich having to pay more in here is why, currently with the insane profits the rich are bringing in the have already paid their share by their 1st or 2nd paycheck. Let that sink in. No one has addressed the increase in earnings and how huge the incomes of the rich have become. Its a viable solution that again begs the question why are they getting off so easily?
It is by definition an entitlement.
a government program that provides benefits to any individual meeting certain eligibility requirements.
That doesn’t make it a bad thing.
Im entitled to roads, sanitary drinking water, financial assistance if i couldn’t feed my family, and even a lawyer if i can afford one.
Social security is the same as food stamps, without the need to prove a desperate financial situation, or limits on its use. claimants of social security just get to judge recipients of other types of entitlements.
Ive got another 30 years until retirement, pay into ss, but don’t expect to see any of it back.
Social Security is an insurance plan. Very much unlike food stamps.
Absolutely right!
Social Security can be fixed by not allowing the government to use is as a slush fund to to rob. The amounts of pay scales where people have to pay it should be increased and people who never paid into it should not be allowed to collect.
Congress needs to have their pay docked if they don’t have the reason approved by an attendance officer and they need to get more wage earners in building our frail infistructure and then they will pay into our system. The fat guys who get 300k per year should pay so pay social security to that wage too.
The Oxford Dictionary defines “entitled” as the official right to something. That seems a fair description for money that people have paid into Social Security. Rather than griping about what Congress has done with Social Security money, I appreciate that Senator Ernst is looking at the entrenched politicians and attempting to find a way to work forward from where we are and plan for the future.
If she wants to do it behind closed doors, she better be talking to herself.
We pay into SS our entire working lives. Now we get one IDIOT IN THE
WHITE HOUSE and everybody in Washington wants to take from ss.
Go get a hobby. Leave our tax money ALONE. I EARNED IT. I SUGGEST YOU DO THE SAME… WHY IS IT THAT AS SOON AS SOMEONE IS SENT TO CONGRESS,
THEY LEAVE THEIR BRAINS AT HOME?
Quick fix Vote her out!
Uhhhh. RAISE the cap on the payroll tax, and the problem is solved for the next 40 years, at least.
Duhhhhh….
She is not qualified to handle the debate process. Very poor representation for Iowa but the Kock brothers got their money’s worth.
They are not talking about it because Trump will cut it once he’s elected. 2.8 trillion is money in there pockets not ours. SAD. MY WIFE AND OUR ARE IN OUR 70’s WE NEED THAT MONEY. WITHOUT IT WE WILL LOSE OUR HOME AND LIVE AT OR ON THE STREETS EATING OUT OF GARBAGE CANS. DO YOU THINK THE GOVERNMENT CARES?
THINK THAT ONE OVER. DOES IT APPLY TO YOU?
Wake up people. If Barouk Obummer had said something similar and wanted closed doors (as he did in secret during his tenure not allowing any Repubs in to vote), you Donkycrats would be all for it. When someine includes all the members and does not exclude half of them, saying that that conversation should be uninterrupted by outsiders so more time can be utilized to come to a mutul agreement, I personally believe they have a head on their shoulders and not up their posterier like you complainers who can’t see the necessity for such an unencumbered meeting. But, that seems to be the Dem/Lib/Socialist/Regressive mentality in every case.
Claim #1: “Senator Ernst Wants to Privatize Social Security, gamble it on Wall Street.” According to a report from the trustees of Social Security, parts of the program are expected to run out of money in 2034. That’s a few months earlier than the date in early 2035, which was reported in 2018 because the costs of the program are rising faster than the income it receives from payroll taxes. For decades, senators have discussed reforming the program to stop it from running out of money. Legislators have discussed several different options. Those include raising the retirement age, privatizing the program, reducing monthly payments, using alternative price indexes to determine adjustments to the program and more.
As part of those discussions, E
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i9 Fact Checker: Sen. Ernst doesn’t want to privatize social security
By Ethan Stein
Published: Oct. 26, 2020 at 7:53 PM CDT|Updated: 20 hours ago
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Theresa Greenfield has run multiple ads attacking incumbent Republican Sen. Joni Ernst on her stance on Social Security.
Source: This ad called “Nova” is straight from the Theresa Greenfield campaign
Claim #1: “Senator Ernst Wants to Privatize Social Security, gamble it on Wall Street.”
Analysis: According to a report from the trustees of Social Security, parts of the program are expected to run out of money in 2034. That’s a few months earlier than the date in early 2035, which was reported in 2018 because the costs of the program are rising faster than the income it receives from payroll taxes.
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For decades, senators have discussed reforming the program to stop it from running out of money. Legislators have discussed several different options. Those include raising the retirement age, privatizing the program, reducing monthly payments, using alternative price indexes to determine adjustments to the program and more.
As part of those discussions, Ernst has repeatedly said she’s discussed privatization as an option. But, discussing and being open to a possible solution does not indicate support. In fact, Ernst has not put forward any specific plan we could find on how to fix Social Security. That is why this claim is shaky at its very best and posting that she is in favor of such a measure is a manipulation (taken out if context because of omitting the remainder of her total comment on the subject) obviously contrived by her opposition. Many a criminal has gone free, and many an innocent person convicted by using this tactic. And yes, that is my personal opinion.