debate

On November 4th, like millions of Americans, I’ll head to the polls to cast my ballot. I’ve done my homework, know where the candidates stand on important issues — like financial security and support for family caregivers — and I’m ready to vote.

The two candidates for a competitive House seat in New Hampshire duked it out over the future of Social Security in an Oct. 28 debate, which was broadcast statewide.

The candidates in a battleground congressional district in Illinois disagreed about the impact for Social Security and Medicare of a Republican-passed plan crafted by House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) during an Oct. 21 radio debate sponsored by AARP.

In their final scheduled debate before Election Day, Virginia’s two major-party candidates for the U.S. Senate sparred over their records on Social Security and Medicare while voicing similar views on steps needed to address their long-term financing.

On July 28, the Social Security Administration released The 2014 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees, which details the financial status of the Social Security program. The report makes clear that:

The title of the undisputed hit song of this past summer, before the government shutdown, Blurred Lines,* lacks a reference to Congress (or rest assured it would have been a dud). But it captures what politicians and others in Washington have done in the hopes that voters don't catch them causing damage to our lives and the broader economy.

Shaarp Session asks Gwen Ifill to hold the VP candidate's feet to the fire.

As AARP does frequently, we surveyed some undecided voters and asked them where they stand right now with the candidates. The overwhelming majority (81%) of undecided voters say the debates will be important in deciding their vote, while most feel that they don't know enough about the candidates' economic and health care plans to decide yet.