"No tax increases, we don't need them.
All we've got to do is stop the Congress from raiding the $200 billion a year in the surplus and let it go in the fund where it should."
S4's Ryan was first in line to talk with Senator Gravel in the spin room after the Democratic debates held at Howard University on June 28th, 2007. Here is Gravel discussing the Social Security trust fund:
S4: I'm from Students for Saving Social Security, and I have a question for you. I'm wondering what your plans are to reform Social Security. Specifically, do you support tax increases or benefit cuts as part of your plan?
Gravel: No, no tax increases, we don't need them. All we've got to do is stop the Congress from raiding the $200 billion a year in the surplus and let it go in the fund where it should. Invest it at 8% rather than 2% and stop passing the burden onto our grandchildren. There are a whole bunch of other things we could do, but that's just for openers.
S4: So you support investment of the trust fund surplus, not personal accounts?
Gravel: Well, first, investment of the trust fund -- we can identify it personally and later on if some people want to do it personally they can, I have no problems with that. Let's let the people decide.
Statements on Reform
"Senator Mike Gravel wants to put real money, rather than borrowed money, in the Social Security Trust Fund, investing it properly and identifying the interests of individual beneficiaries so they can leave their surplus funds to their heirs. He also calls on Congress to stop raiding the Social Security Trust Fund. This is key to ensuring that Social Security will be around long after the Baby Boomers are gone for the next generation of Americans who have paid into it."
- Gravel for President
"'The cash from Social Security taxes need[s] to be deposited in the Trust Fund -- rather than the non-negotiable 2% bonds -- and properly invested, rather than continue to let the Congress spend the money for the day-to-day operations of government.'"
- NH Insider Interview, May 21, 2006
