Watchdog Group Urges Presidential Candidates to Talk Entitlement Reform Ahead of Third Debate

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new poll released by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) shows that voters want serious reforms to Medicare and Social Security. The government watchdog group is urging presidential candidates to take notice ahead of tonight’s third presidential debate.

The poll, in partnership with Public Opinion Strategies, shows that 90 percent of voters believe Presidential and Congressional candidates running for elected office in 2024 should discuss the financial challenges facing the Medicare and Social Security programs and outline their solutions to ensure they remain solvent.

Other key polling highlights include:

• 87 percent of respondents believe that policymakers should begin implementing changes as soon as possible to extend the life of Social Security, avoid benefit cuts, and ensure that future participants have enough benefits to support their retirement. Similarly, 89 percent of respondents believe policymakers must act to ensure Medicare’s solvency and avoid painful cuts.
• 93 percent of voters say that Congress and the President should work together nowto find solutions to Medicare’s long-term financial challenges in order to avoid benefit cuts and reduced health care access for retirees.
• Only 5 percentof voters say Congress and the President should do nothing and allow scheduled cuts to Social Security benefits to take effect once we reach the funding shortfall.
• Voters find a variety of reformsto Medicare “totally/mostly acceptable,” including:
  •  Recouping billions in improper Medicare overcharges, payments and fraud that already occur every year (84 percent)
  • Imposing stronger financial oversight of health insurance companies that are managing certain Medicare benefits (76 percent)
  • Limiting Medicare benefits for higher income and wealthier beneficiaries (66 percent)

The crisis can’t be ignored: According to Medicare’s own Board of Trustees, Medicare Part A will be depleted by 2031. And, according to the Social Security Administration’s Board of Trustees, Social Security’s Trust Fund reserves will be depleted by 2035 or earlier and require an automatic 23 percent cut at that time if no changes are made.

“Our polling shows that Americans are seriously worried about the solvency of these entitlement programs,” said Taxpayers Protection Alliance President David Williams. “Tonight on the debate stage, presidential candidates owe the American people a serious path forward for reforming these programs and securing a strong fiscal future. Entitlement programs should no longer be considered the ’third rail’ of politics. As the clock ticks down to insolvency, any aspiring occupant of the Oval Office must prioritize fiscal sanity over feel-good slogans. Proactive steps must be taken to reform these fiscally unsound programs or Americans will be faced with the consequences.

This poll is a fiscal wake up call to Congress and all Presidential candidates,” concluded Williams.