What Ron DeSantis Has Said About Cutting Social Security

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has indicated a willingness to consider changes to Social Security for younger Americans, while pledging to maintain the program for current retirees and those nearing retirement age.

DeSantis' stance on Social Security, a safety net for nearly 70 million Americans, mirrors a broader Republican sentiment of reforming entitlement programs to ensure their long-term sustainability. The issue is gaining traction as the 2024 presidential debates heat up, with DeSantis' views particularly relevant given his rising profile within the GOP.

In a July Fox News interview and subsequent November presidential debate, the Florida governor reiterated the need for fiscal responsibility to shore up Social Security, noting that inflation and economic growth are key strategies.

"When people say that we're going to somehow cut seniors, that is totally not true," he said. "Talking about making changes for people in their 30s or 40s so that the program's viable, that's a much different thing."

DeSantis' approach reflects a shift from his earlier congressional stance, where he supported privatizing Social Security and Medicare, to a more moderate position focusing on program adjustments, without specifying the exact nature of the changes.

His campaign provided Newsweek with examples that underline his commitment to preserving Social Security for current beneficiaries while seeking sustainable solutions for future generations. The spokesperson shared an excerpt from a conversation where DeSantis advocated bipartisan approaches to reform.

"Looking forward in terms of future generations, people of our generation, you've got to sit down, you've got to work in a bipartisan way with the other party," DeSantis said in an interview with CNBC's Brian Sullivan. "You cannot do this with one party. I mean, when Reagan sat with Tip O'Neill, they were able to preserve Social Security for many more decades. And so you've got to be able to sit down, work across the aisle, and develop a solution for the long term."

Still, the governor's reluctance to raise the retirement age, especially in light of declining life expectancy in the U.S., marks a departure from some common reform proposals.

"When life expectancy is declining, I don't see how you could raise [the retirement age] the other direction," DeSantis said during the debate in early November.

Andrew D. Eschtruth, from Boston College's Center for Retirement Research, said that any changes to Social Security, including altering the retirement age, effectively equate to benefit cuts. That is because delaying eligibility means beneficiaries lose out on expected benefits for the period they were initially promised, he said.

Amid the ongoing discussions, the broader context of Social Security's financial health looms large. The Social Security trust fund is projected to be depleted in about a decade. The current age for Americans to access benefits is 62, with Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLA) designed to counteract the effects of inflation.

"The purpose of the COLA is to ensure that the purchasing power of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits is not eroded by inflation," a spokesperson at the Social Security Administration previously told Newsweek. "It is based on the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers."