In an interview released yesterday with NTV News, Rep. Don Bacon issued a call to raise the retirement age at which seniors can begin receiving Social Security benefits.

When asked how lawmakers should address the future of Social Security, Bacon declared that:

“On the Democrat side, of course, they would want to raise more revenues or taxes. And on the Republican side, they’d like to have Social Security better reflect the rising life expectancy. If we did both, you would have Social Security, I believe, secured for many decades.”

Raising the retirement age would cut benefits for seniors by delaying the point at which they could begin drawing on the Social Security benefits they paid into and earned, while forcing millions of seniors to delay retirement and work for years longer.

“We must protect Social Security and ensure it remains strong for future generations of Americans, but raising the retirement age and forcing seniors to pay out of their pockets with reduced benefits is not the answer,” said Tony Vargas, candidate for Congress. “We need to be protecting Social Security benefits and lowering costs for prescription drugs, housing, and basic goods to help Nebraska seniors get by. Just a few months ago, I voted to stop taxing social security to help put more money back in seniors pockets. I will always fight to protect the Social Security benefits that Nebraska seniors have paid into and earned, and will reject extreme and out of touch plans like Don Bacon’s to raise the retirement age.”

This isn’t the first time Bacon has proposed raising the retirement age. When running for Congress in 2016, Bacon proposed increasing the retirement age at a debate with the League of Women Voters.

Original source can be found here.