Standing with Seniors

Washington still isn't working for our rapidly expanding senior population, and neither is Congressman Cravaack. He’s promoting the Ryan Plan that privatizes Social Security, a top priority for his Wall Street contributors and a serious gamble that could have cost us trillions when the economy tanked. The plan would put needed health care and nursing home care out of reach for may seniors and their families.

We deserve a Representative who will work for seniors, not against them. That's something I've done my whole career, whether as a Senior Law Project attorney, running the Minnesota Community Action Partnership or in the State Legislature, where I worked in a bipartisan way to protect seniors from unscrupulous lenders, ensure adequate health care and to help seniors live independently. I successfully advocated for “Meals on Wheels”, energy assistance and Senior Foster Grandparents. I also authored the expansion of the “Cold Weather Rule” in the Minnesota Senate in order to make sure that seniors weren’t literally left out in the cold due to an inability to afford rising energy costs.

We have an obligation to stand up for those who are retired and all of us who hope to retire someday. We've paid into Social Security since our first jobs. We ought to be able to depend on it - after all, it's our money. In Congress, I will protect, preserve, and defend Social Security and improve Medicare. I will fight to make prescription drugs more affordable and to protect seniors from fraud and predatory activities. I will work to make it easier for adult children to care for their parents, and to make sure our long-term care system is working properly for those who need it, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach to care. I will go to Congress to work for seniors and retirees, not for Wall Street or big drug companies.