Sen. Marco Rubio on Social Security and Medicare

2016 Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio spoke Tuesday morning on 'An Economy for A New American Century', at 1871 in the Merchandise Mart.

[KRyan-gnuw]

"By law, Social Security cannot contribute to the federal deficit, because it is required to pay benefits only from its trust funds. Those, in turn, are funded through a dedicated payroll tax of 12.4 percent of income, split evenly between employees and employers, levied on income (this year) up to $137, 700."

Let this sink in: Wages over $137, 7000 pay NO Social Security tax. Meaning the wealthy do not pay any Social Security tax es on millions of dollars. What happens if the rich have to pay that tax on some or all of those millions? A well-funded Social Security program, that's what.

[jamierachels]

If ALL earned income was subject to FICA (SS, SSDI, Medicare) assessment, instead of getting to stop paying into it when you've reached a certain annual income (right now about $135, 000), then those programs wouldn't be in bad situations it's in. Along with Congress repaying the TRILLIONS of dollars they've "borrowed" out of the SS/SSDI/Medicare they'd do that (which by law, they're supposed to do), these programs would be healthy!!!!

[Franz]

Our debt has nothing to do with defense spending, instead has to do with social security? This is one the most laughable things ever heard! Social Security adds about zero to the debt, since we pay for it. Where as our bloated Military budget is probably about the biggest factor in the debt. A lot of people want to privatize social security because that would give the finical institutions more money to play around with, like to make more risky investments. Greedy bastards never have enough-