Chris Christie presidential campaign, 2016/Federal assistance programs
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 Chris Christie |
Governor of New Jersey (2010-2018) U.S. Attorney for New Jersey (2002-2008) |
 Republican candidate: |
2028 • 2024 • 2020 • 2016 |
This page was current as of the 2016 election.
- At the fourth Republican primary debate on November 10, 2015, Chris Christie discussed changes he would push for as president to entitlement programs. He said "Now I've forward, I put forward an entitlement reform plan. We spend 71 cents of every dollar in America on entitlements and debt service, and if -- you know, Willy Sutton used to say, when they asked him why he robbed banks, he said that's 'cause that's where the money is, OK? And where the money is in the federal government are these entitlement programs and debt service. What I've said is we need to get a hold of that. We cannot continue to go down the $19 trillion in debt. So our plan will save over $1 trillion over the next 10 years and make sure that Social Security and Medicare are there for those who truly need it and also make sure that we have money to be able to reduce taxes and spend on the things we need to spend."[1] Christie's plan called for means testing Social Security, raising the retirement age, and phasing out retirement payments to those with more than $200,000 a year in other income and smaller reductions for those earning $80,000.[2]
- After criticizing other 2016 presidential candidates for being “vague” on reforming entitlement programs in July 2015, Christie explained the reasoning behind his own position that the retirement age for Social Security should be gradually raised to 69. “I think that if you give it 25 years, which is what we're giving it, you're going to see advances in medical science ... and pharmaceutical treatments that are going to allow us to even have manual laborers who will be able to work longer, much longer than they're able to work now,” Christie said.[3]
- After a speech at the Reagan Library in 2011, Christie expressed his support for means testing for both Social Security and Medicare in order to "get people who don't need to stop taking it so that we can give it to people at an affordable price who do need it."[4] At a separate press event, he said that the social security retirement age should be raised, saying, "You're going to have to raise the retirement age for Social Security. Oh I just said it, and I'm still standing here! I did not vaporize into the carpeting and I said it!"[4]
- Christie advocated for entitlement reform, saying in 2012 that the U.S. was becoming a "paternalistic entitlement society."[5]
Recent news
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See also
Footnotes
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Transcript: Fox Business undercard GOP debate," November 10, 2015
- ↑ Bloomberg, "Chris Christie Pushes Means Test for Social Security in New Hampshire," April 14, 2015
- ↑ CNN, "Christie knocks candidates for being 'vague' on entitlement reform," July 25, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Political Guide, “Chris Christie on Social Security," October 3, 2011
- ↑ Politico, “Chris Christie: Nation of couch potatoes," April 10, 2012
