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Brewer: Arizona seniors deserve a future of economic security

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Arizona seniors deserve to enjoy a future of economic security and prosperity for many years to come — and it’s imperative that we elect political leaders who have what it takes to build that future for them.

Unfortunately, Washington is swarming with career politicians who have spent decades winning elections by making unattainable and unrealistic promises.

And this important election is no different. For months, older Arizonans have heard the battle cries of countless political candidates running for every kind of office, all telling seniors the exact same thing — we will take care of you if you vote for us this November.

According to the latest estimates, there are more than 1.2 million seniors living in Arizona, myself included. Most of us have heard more lies and empty promises from cunning politicians than we can count.

After so many disappointments, it’s easy to become cynical. Throughout my political career, I have always relied on the following rule of thumb to help me distinguish parasites from patriots — I look at what politicians have done in the past, not just what they say in the present.

Democrat nominee Joe Biden has promised to do a lot for seniors. His official proposal vows to make prescription drugs more affordable for older Americans, pledges to put Social Security “on a path to long-run solvency,” and more.

At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with Biden’s proposal. More investment in social security? Better access to affordable medicine?

Sign me up!

But as is often the case when something sounds too good to be true, the devil is in the details.

Joe has been in politics for nearly half a century, during which time he has repeatedly demonstrated that he doesn’t know how to ensure the long-term solvency of Social Security. The 75-word pledge to preserve the program on his campaign website doesn’t come close to explaining how, precisely, he plans on keeping this ambitious promise — especially since the program would become even more expensive under his watch.

The American people have watched Joe Biden serve eight years as vice president and more than three decades in the U.S. Senate. For most of his career, Biden wanted to reduce the size of the program or freeze it in its entirety — a move that would have left millions of U.S. seniors stranded.

“I tried with Senator Grassley back in the 1980s to freeze all government spending, including Social Security, including everything,” Biden acknowledged in 1995. “The American people know we have to fix Social Security,” he argued in 2007. “They know we’re going to have to make some tough decisions.”
Of course, President Trump has also made some significant promises to seniors --- and he should be judged by the same criteria as his opponent.

When he first ran for office, Donald Trump told the American people that he would protect Social Security. “I was the first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid,” he tweeted in 2015.

Notably, the President also promised to lower the price of prescription medication for U.S. seniors by passing laws that promote transparency in the healthcare industry — which is precisely what he went on to accomplish during his first term in the White House.

As a result, seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D have saved nearly $2 billion in premiums since 2017, and seniors with diabetes will be able to purchase insulin for $35 per month or less starting next year.

Donald Trump has been true to his word, and his record of promise-keeping makes his renewed pledge to preserve Social Security and fight for lower healthcare costs for older Americans eminently believable.

Arizona seniors have a lot at stake this election, and a big choice to make at the ballot box on November 3. We can’t afford to listen to politicians who make big promises without demonstrating that they can deliver equally big results.

Editor’s note: Ms. Brewer is the former Governor of Arizona

Jan Brewer