Canova’s Great Deception and Distortion Campaign: Social Security

Wasserman Schultz praised for leadership by the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, a leading national watchdog, in ensuring strong

Social Security protections included in 2016 Democratic Party Platform

WESTON, FL – With time running out on his increasingly desperate campaign, Tim Canova has turned to a last-ditch strategy of outright deception and distortion of Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s proud record on Social Security.

Exhibit A: Flat-out lying to voters about the Congresswoman’s outstanding record as a long-time champion of Social Security who has defended the vital program for Seniors from extreme Republican attacks.

“Behind in the polls with time running out on his desperate and stumbling campaign, it’s clear that Tim Canova has no choice but to mislead Floridians about Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz’s record,” said Wasserman Schultz campaign spokesman Ryan Banfill. “The truth is – Debbie Wasserman Schultz has a lifelong record of standing up for seniors while protecting Social Security and Medicare – including co-sponsoring legislation that will expand Social Security benefits for all beneficiaries.”

In spite of Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz’s outstanding history as an advocate for protecting Social Security and increasing benefits for program recipients, in a recent campaign ad, the Congresswoman’s opponent lies when he makes the bald-faced claim that “my opponent refuses to support an increase in benefits” when it comes to Social Security.

The truth is that Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz is a leading supporter of protecting and increasing Social Security benefits. The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, a  leading national watchdog in ensuring strong Social Security protections included in 2016 Democratic Party Platform, worked with Wasserman Schultz to ensure efforts to improve the current cost of living allowance formula received priority attention in the party platform.

“Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and I worked closely to ensure that the 2016 Democratic Party Platform supported efforts to improve the current cost of living allowance (COLA) formula in order to provide seniors with the increase in benefits they deserve,” said Max Richtman, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare President/CEO and Democratic Platform Committee Member. “Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz knows that current COLA formula isn’t measuring seniors’ expenses properly and they’ve seen no increase for too many years, yet for their expenses (especially health costs) continue to grow.  That’s why we are pleased that she has been a champion of legislation to create a fair COLA for the elderly”

Rictman added that Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz has a 100 percent voting record with the National Committee on its two most recent scorecards for the 112th and 113th Congresses.

Here are other examples of the Congresswoman’s strong record on Social Security:

Cost of Living Adjustment

There was no cost-of-living adjustment in 2016, resulting in devastating consequences for many seniors who saw significant increases in their daily expenses.

Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz is a cosponsor of several bills designed to address this issue, including some that would use the CPI-E index (designed to look at senior spending patterns, especially health care and prescription drug costs) to measure inflation.

  • H.R. 1811 – Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act
  • H.R. 3351 – CPI-E Act of 2015
  • H.R. 4144 – SAVE Benefits Act

 Expanding Benefits:

As any senior in Florida’s 23rd district knows, Social Security’s earned benefits are modest, with the average monthly retiree benefit in our district being $1,238 ($14,856 a year). We are facing a retirement income crisis, and Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz understands that the best way to solve it is by expanding social security benefits.

The Congresswoman is a cosponsor of the following bills that would expand social security benefits:

H.R. 1391 – The Social Security 2100 Act would improve benefits, adopt the CPI-E formula to determine cost-of-living increases, and extend the life of the Social Security Trust Fund. The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare noted that the bill includes “across-the-board increases for all beneficiaries” and said that Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz was part of a “terrific coalition … for important new Social Security legislation.”

H.R. 3377 – The Social Security Caregiver Credit Act, would provide Social Security credit for an individual providing care to a dependent relative.

  1. Res. 393 is a resolution to support policies to protect and expand Social Security and responsibly secure its long-term future.

H.R. 973 – Social Security Fairness Act of 2015, expands social security benefits with respect to federal, state, or local government employees

“It’s clear, there are facts and then there’s the world according to Tim Canova,” Banfill added. “He’s been caught red-faced in a lie. It’s time Tim Canova apologize to people in Florida’s 23rd Congressional district for misleading them about Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz’s proud and strong record of public service.”

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