Philly Leader

Pennsylvania seniors know that while most politicians are adept at making appealing promises, few are capable of delivering results.

For decades, we placed our faith in the ruling political elite, only to be disappointed time and time again. We tried something different in 2016, and now the same old political establishment wants to retake control of Washington, promising to finally fix the problems that it created for our seniors. 

It’s impossible to know where Joe Biden stands on the issues that matter most to older voters, because his contradictory statements and inconsistent record make him a true wild card.

The Democrat nominee’s proposed policy platform states that he would expand Social Security and implement measures to ensure the program’s long-term solvency. Biden can’t have it both ways — Social Security is facing fiscal challenges precisely because career politicians have irresponsibly expanded the program in the past, without considering the impact of their reckless legislation. 

In this case, Biden is fantasizing about financing his scheme by eliminating the cap on payroll taxes, which currently only apply to the first $137,700 in ordinary annual income. Removing this cap, however, wouldn’t even raise enough revenue to fill the program’s existing funding shortfalls, and would also act as an economic drag, reducing tax revenue even further.

To make matters worse, Biden’s record suggests that the Democrat nominee is not all that concerned about saving Social Security in the first place — for decades, he repeatedly campaigned to cut the program in an opportunistic effort to cultivate a reputation for fiscal responsibility. 

“I tried with Senator Grassley back in the 1980s to freeze all government spending, including Social Security, including everything,” Biden said in 1995. More than a decade later, Biden reiterated his willingness to curtail the program, arguing that “we’re going to have to make some tough decisions.” 

If Biden is elected, can 2.2 million seniors in the Keystone State really trust his administration to protect Social Security during a possible recession? Probably not.  

Donald Trump, on the other hand, has always kept his promises to Pennsylvania seniors — not only did the President preserve Social Security during his first term in office, but he also ensured that seniors have access to affordable prescription medication. In fact, thanks to President Trump’s policies, seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D managed to save a whopping $2 billion in premiums since 2017. 

“I said from day one that we’re going to protect Social Security, and we’re going to protect our people,” the President said in August. “And Social Security is one of the things that will be protected. Pre-existing conditions will be protected. Medicare will be protected.”

He demonstrated that commitment once again with the announcement that his administration had worked out an arrangement with CVS and Walgreens to deliver an eventual COVID-19 vaccine directly to nursing homes, at no cost to seniors.

The key question that Pennsylvania seniors must answer in this election is whether they are willing to gamble their retirement on an establishment politician who has spent the last 47 years contributing to the problems that he now vows to solve. Now more than ever, we need a leader in the White House with a proven track record of relentless promise keeping in Washington. 

– Douglas A. Macgregor is a U.S. Army Colonel (retired), author, and consultant.