During Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate, candidates for the 2024 nomination addressed whether they would make any reforms to Social Security, including if they would raise the age of retirement.
Social Security remains a major issue to many Americans. A study from the Senior Citizens League released earlier this year found inflation has caused Social Security payments to lose 36 percent of their buying power since 2000. The rise in the cost of medicine has also become a common theme during the 2024 presidential race, as many people relying on Social Security struggle to pay for their medical needs.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie advocated for raising the retirement age for those currently in their 30s or 40s, saying that they should be able to adjust to a retirement age increased by a few years.
Christie said he supports eliminating eligibility for wealthy people to collect Social Security. He specifically called out billionaire Warren Buffett, although he acknowledged he wasn’t certain that Buffet collects the benefit. He also rejected the idea of raising taxes to pay for the program.
