Candidates:

Elwyn Tinklenberg, Democrat

Michele Bachmann, Republican

Questions:

Priorities  Social Security  Enhancing Retirement Security  Making Health Care More Affordable  Long-Term Care 

The candidate was asked to check either the support or oppose boxes.

QUESTION:

What will be your top domestic issue priorities if elected? How will you work to break the gridlock to get things done on these issues? Please list your top three domestic priorities:

AARP RESPONSE:

AARP’s position: Millions of Americans worry about their health and long-term financial security. They fear the future will not be as prosperous for their children and grandchildren. They face competing demands: affording health care, saving for retirement, sending children to college and supporting aging parents. At the same time, soaring health care costs constrain businesses’ ability to grow and compete. Our elected leaders in Washington have become increasingly unable to solve major issues because of partisan gridlock. Americans want results from our elected leaders, not promises without action. It’s time for individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations, and government to come together to find solutions. AARP believes that providing quality, affordable health care and improving lifelong financial security for all Americans should be Washington’s top domestic priorities.

Elwyn Tinklenberg (Democrat) RESPONSE:

1. The Economy 2. Healthcare 3. Transportation and Infrastructure I have made a career out of working across party lines to accomplish goals. First, as a mayor of Blaine and then as Commissioner of Transportation under an Independent Governor, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with dedicated people of both major parties. Both parties share a common goal: protection of people from our children to our seniors. It's just a matter of how we get there on which we differ. As I approach 60, it occurs to me that we've been debating these key issues my entire life. It's time to put the party rhetoric aside, and take care of people. I am committed to doing so.

Michele Bachmann (Republican) RESPONSE:

I was elected to Congress to help reform the ways of Washington. Americans want solutions, not partisan posturing. And, in these tough times, with so much turmoil abroad and uncertainty in our economy, Americans need to know they have a partner on Capitol Hill. I've been proud to work across party lines on many issues such as foster care improvements, health care reform, small business needs, and more. In fact, I have authored several pieces of bipartisan legislation, including the Health Care Freedom of Choice Act, to provide full tax deductibility for medical, dental, long-term care and insurance premiums to make health care more affordable and more accessible for millions of Americans.

QUESTION:

Will you support or oppose a balanced Social Security plan to continue the program’s guaranteed benefits for future generations? Will you support or oppose diverting Social Security payroll taxes to fund individual retirement accounts?

AARP RESPONSE:

Social Security has provided peace of mind for Americans for over 70 years. The program’s guaranteed, inflation adjusted benefit protects families when a worker retires, becomes disabled or dies. We all benefit from the shared responsibility of providing for today’s beneficiaries, with the knowledge that future generations will also share the responsibility for us. AARP believes that a bipartisan plan that balances additional contributions from higher income workers with modest adjustments in future benefits can maintain Social Security’s guaranteed benefits for future generations. AARP supports individual retirement accounts in addition to current guaranteed Social Security benefits, but believes diverting Social Security taxes from the Trust Fund to fund individual retirement accounts instead of Social Security would weaken the program and create a mountain of new federal debt.

Elwyn Tinklenberg (Democrat) RESPONSE:

Working people, who have paid into the economy over a lifetime, deserve to retire with dignity and security. Also, the benefits afforded to the families of people who die, are often irreplaceable. When my first wife passed away, it was devastating. Fortunately, her Social Security benefits helped me put our three children through college and allow them the opportunities we both wanted for them. I am emphatic about the need to stop taking money from Social Security to pay off other debts and expenses. The Baby-boomer generation is going to be a huge strain on Social Security and we need to be building it up, not taking from it, if we're going to ensure its solvency.

Michele Bachmann (Republican) RESPONSE:

Social Security reform is one of the most pressing issues of our time. It has been an important source of financial security for generations past, and future generations should be able to rely on its promise as well. But, in its current form, it is a ticking time bomb. Federal mandatory spending on Social Security and other entitlements has grown from 26% of the federal budget in 1966 to 53% in 2006. Our entitlement liabilities exceed our ability to pay for them by $53 trillion -- that means it would take about $175,000 from every man, woman, and child to cover this debt. There's not a single option that can be taken off the table as Congress seeks a bipartisan solution to this crisis.

QUESTION:

What options do you support to make saving for retirement easier for American families? Do you support or oppose guaranteeing employees’ access to automatic payroll deductions in the workplace to fund an IRA? Do you support or oppose creating retirement accounts in addition to Social Security?

AARP RESPONSE:

Lifetime financial security is a cornerstone of the American dream, yet this dream is being threatened by the phasing out of many traditional pension plans, and an economic environment where people find it difficult to save. Social Security was never intended to be a worker’s only source of retirement income. AARP supports creating new retirement savings options and expanding existing supplemental retirement accounts that enable workers to accumulate retirement savings in addition to Social Security’s guaranteed benefits. Half of all workers have no organized way to save for retirement such as pensions or 401(k) plans. AARP supports guaranteeing workers access to automatic payroll deductions to an IRA (Individual Retirement Account) in the workplace if their employers do not already provide them a pension or 401(k) plan.

Elwyn Tinklenberg (Democrat) RESPONSE:

It's imperative that we shore up the Social Security Trust Fund to ensure that the most basic of safety nets remains intact for all retirees. I support both automatic payroll deduction for IRAs and additional retirement accounts that are pre-tax funds. I also support tax incentives for companies and corporations that offer 401K programs and greater incentives for those with a "match" or profit-sharing plan. However, one of the greatest impediments to retirement savings these days is the frequency with which people are forced to withdraw funds from their retirement accounts to cover accidents, medical emergencies and college tuition, suffering huge penalties for doing so. These are all seemingly unrelated issues that if addressed by the government, would have a profound impact on retirement.

Michele Bachmann (Republican) RESPONSE:

Personal retirement security is absolutely crucial and I fully support expanding options available to people to save in the ways that suit their needs best. I have strongly supported new options for saving for health care needs, retirement, education, and more. I also support options that help the self-employed and those individuals who work for small businesses gain access to better saving options. We must ensure that the millions of Americans that work for small business or who are self-employed are not shut out of savings opportunities because of a one-size-fits-all approach from Washington.

QUESTION:

What policies would you support to make health care and health insurance more affordable and accessible for everyone? What policies would you support to make Medicare more affordable?

AARP RESPONSE:

We believe affordable, quality health care is a fundamental right for all Americans. Availability of coverage, rising premiums and the prospect of losing coverage altogether have become constant concerns for too many families, including older Americans, because Medicare cost sharing continues to increase as well. Making health care affordable is a shared responsibility among government, business, health care providers and individuals. We need to improve quality, eliminate waste, establish more efficient systems of care, and take individual responsibility to live healthier lives. AARP believes existing programs, both public and private, should be strengthened with incentives and subsidies to encourage greater individual and employer participation. Improving care for chronic diseases like diabetes and expanding preventive care and greater use of research on health outcomes will help reduce costs and improve overall health.

Elwyn Tinklenberg (Democrat) RESPONSE:

We must put aside our political differences and begin the transition to universal healthcare by expanding SCHIP to cover every American child. It is our moral obligation to make sure our children have access to care. Not only that, it's smart. Basic immunization saves us $50 billion a year in direct and indirect costs! I support the continued availability of private insurance options alongside a competitively priced public option, and no insurance company should be allowed to deny coverage due to pre-existing health conditions. I support long-term care benefits for the elderly and will vote to allow direct price negotiations for pharmaceuticals. There is no reason why seniors should be finding themselves trapped by Part D and dipping into savings to pay for prescriptions.

Michele Bachmann (Republican) RESPONSE:

One of the biggest obstacles to improving accessibility to affordable care is the U.S. Tax Code which favors coverage through employers. This puts the self-employed, those who work for small business, and even many who work for larger businesses who are cutting costs by cutting benefits at a disadvantage. As I noted earlier, I have authored bipartisan legislation to help make healthcare costs more affordable. The bill, the Health Care Freedom of Choice Act, would provide 100% deductibility for all medical, dental, long-term care, and other costs -- including insurance premiums.

QUESTION:

How would you shift long-term care services and financing so that people can afford to stay in their homes and communities as long as appropriate?

AARP RESPONSE:

At some point, most Americans will need supportive services to help with daily activities (such as dressing or bathing). The vast majority strongly prefer receiving care in their homes and communities rather than in more costly nursing homes or other institutions. However, government programs for long-term care are often geared toward institutions, making home and community-based care much harder to receive. The caregiving burden—both physical and economic— is often overwhelming for millions of families. AARP supports shifting long-term care programs to more home and community services to help people stay in their homes and communities as long as appropriate. Consumers should have more choices and improved quality of care across all settings, and the caregiving burden on millions of families should be eased.

Elwyn Tinklenberg (Democrat) RESPONSE:

We are experiencing an alarming shortage of nurses and home healthcare aids in this country. This problem will only become more acute as our population ages. The federal government should encourage a new workforce of young people to go into the field of nursing and home health care, through programs and incentives that aid tuition for those who complete programs in nursing and home care. We can also streamline and simplify the process of applying for medical devices through Medicare. Simple machines and apparatus can make all the difference between home care and nursing home options. In addition, we should make some of the items not covered by Medicare, tax deductable. Our seniors are very important members of our communities--we should endeavor to keep them.

Michele Bachmann (Republican) RESPONSE:

Medical advances have made it possible to live longer and better lives, but it is important that palliative care and long-term care options keep pace with the science. Americans deserve options for aging with dignity and for accessing the care that meets their individual needs. I recently visited a wonderful community in Sartell, Minnesota where seniors can get the medical attention at the level they need, progressing from a fully independent community all the way to hospice care as suits their stage of life. The market and the American community are developing ways to meet the needs of older consumers and Congress must not stand in the way of this progress.