The Pledge to Protect Social Security and Medicare

I pledge to the people of my district and state  and to the American people  that I will strengthen and protect Social Security and Medicare for the 21st century:

I WILL OPPOSE PRIVATIZING SOCIAL SECURITY, PARTIALLY OR TOTALLY.

This means I will oppose diverting any Social Security revenues to fund private investment accounts or substituting private investment accounts for any portion of Social Securitys guaranteed benefits. I will not support any of the White House Commissions privatization plans, which involve diverting trillions of dollars from Social Security to fund private accounts, cutting Social Securitys retirement, survivor and disability benefits, and would have the effect of forcing future retirees to work longer than under current law in order to receive full benefits. I will oppose any plan that includes any of these benefit cuts to finance private investment accounts.

I WILL SUPPORT A MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT to be provided within the Medicare program as an option to all beneficiaries.
I pledge to support a plan that will have sufficient Medicare funding to ensure affordable premiums and cost-sharing, that will cover all drugs beneficiaries need, and that will empower Medicare to negotiate directly with drug companies for lower prices. I will oppose efforts to turn Medicares guaranteed health benefits into a voucher system or to push beneficiaries into HMOs and other managed care plans.