Medicare and Social Security

On the campaign trail, I’ve been in diners, living rooms, restaurants, barbershops, and auditoriums throughout Cayuga, Onondaga, Oswego, and Wayne County talking about the urgency in this moment to fight for and protect our American values.

Anyone that knows me will tell you, when I feel our country or our community is under threat, I always step up. It is what motivated me to serve 22 years in the military through multiple tours as a Senior Naval Officer, Iraq War Veteran and Pentagon policy advisor.

Now our community, as well as our American democracy and American values, are under attack every day. Seeing this inspired me to take on a new mission and run to bring forward fresh leadership that serves and protects the people of Central New York. That mission took on a new level of importance when the livelihood of every senior, working family, and student came under threat when President Donald Trump blatantly stated “we will be cutting” entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security.

Like so many Central New Yorkers, I come from a big extended family of Conole’s, Corbett’s, Conroy’s, Ryan’s, and the list goes on. Our family has served in our community as teachers, nurses, social workers, veterans, and police officers who spent their lives paying into Medicare and Social Security and have relied on it when the time came to retire. So, this one is personal for me, much like it is personal for many here in Central New York.

Unfortunately, since the beginning of his administration, we have seen Donald Trump and partisan Republican leadership time and time again working to make cuts to Medicare and privatize Social Security. What’s worse, their most recent proposed cuts are a result of the Trump Tax scheme, which Rep. John Katko proudly championed.

In 2017, we heard over and over from Republicans across the country that the Trump Tax Scheme would pay for itself. Then when it was passed, not only did it give tax breaks to the top 1 percent at the expense of working and middle class families nationwide, but it also ballooned the debt and deficit by more than $2 trillion. As a result, the White House proposed cutting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security by more than $4.4 trillion over the next decade.

Medicare is a promise we’ve made to our parents and grandparents as well as to future generations to ensure they get the healthcare they need after a lifetime of work and Social Security is a guaranteed promise and one of the keys to retire with dignity. I truly believe that after a lifetime of work and service to our community, we owe it to every hardworking Central New Yorker to fulfill that promise. It’s who we are as Americans and this has to be an American value we protect and treasure. That’s why as your next representative in Congress, I will always step up to serve the people of Central New York, and fight to protect Medicare and Social Security.

Proposals:

• Protect Medicare and Social Security from cuts or privatization
• Strengthen Social Security by removing payroll tax exemptions for wage incomes over $250,000 to extend the solvency of the program
• Ensure that during the COVID-19 crisis, every Central New Yorker can still receive the Medicare and Social Security benefits they rely on