Election 2026

Independent, source-first accountability

TheStatedRecordFind a race
Back to the race record

Issue record

Social Security and Medicare

In short

Villegas's campaign says Social Security must be protected, as inflation puts seniors on fixed incomes at risk of poverty; Valadao's says Social Security and Medicare must be strengthened and preserved. Valadao cosponsored the Social Security Fairness Act from 2013 on and voted for it; it became law in 2025, raising benefits for some people with public pensions. The program's trustees say it hurt the trust fund's finances, and no Medicare vote was checked.

Campaign positions

What each campaign says.

Randy Villegas

Says inflation is putting seniors on fixed Social Security incomes at risk of falling below the poverty line, and that Social Security must be protected.

David G. Valadao

His campaign says Medicare and Social Security must be strengthened and preserved, warning that without changes neither can meet its promises to the next generation of retirees.

Evidence timeline

What the record shows.

  1. official action

    David G. Valadao: Matches stated direction

    He cosponsored and voted for the Fairness Act, now law, raising some public pensioners' benefits. Trustees say it worsened trust-fund finances. No Medicare vote was checked.

    Read the full check

    Full detail

    His campaign says that without improvements Social Security and Medicare will be unable to fully meet their promises to the next generation of retirees, and that he believes “we must act in order to strengthen and preserve these vital programs.” On February 27, 2023 he cosponsored H. Res. 109, which states that Social Security “should be preserved and protected for current beneficiaries, and for future generations to come.” It was referred to the Ways and Means Committee. He cosponsored the Social Security Fairness Act in every Congress he served from 2013 until it passed. He voted Yea when the House passed the 2023 bill on November 12, 2024 (Roll Call 456, 327-75), and it became Public Law 118-273 on January 5, 2025. It repealed the windfall elimination provision and the government pension offset, which cut Social Security benefits for some people with a state or local government pension. Limit: H. Res. 109 states a view and changes no law. The Fairness Act raised benefits, and the program's trustees say it hurt the retirement trust fund's finances. No Medicare vote was checked. The campaign page is undated.

See something wrong or incomplete? Report it for review.

Sources11 source records

How we use sources

  1. Issues: Cost of livinghttps://www.villegasforcongress.com/issues/healthcare

    Villegas for Congress · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Campaign-controlled. The site's issue addresses do not match their titles: the page at /issues/healthcare is titled Cost of living, the page at /issues/immigration is Healthcare, and the page at /issues/immigration-1 is Immigration. The short summaries on the Issues index are unedited template text; the full pages were read.

    candidate statement

    For: Randy Villegas: campaign position

  2. Issues: Seniorshttps://valadaoforcongress.com/seniors/

    Valadao for Congress · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Campaign-controlled; undated.

    candidate statement

    For: David G. Valadao: campaign position; David G. Valadao: Matches stated direction

  3. H. Res. 109, Social Security should be preserved and protected (118th Congress)https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-resolution/109

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    Sponsored by Rep. Claudia Tenney; he cosponsored it on February 27, 2023. Its text, read on GovInfo (BILLS-118hres109ih), shows it was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

    official legislative record

    For: David G. Valadao: Matches stated direction

  4. H.R. 1795, Social Security Fairness Act of 2013https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/1795

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    He is listed as a cosponsor.

    official legislative record

    For: David G. Valadao: Matches stated direction

  5. H.R. 973, Social Security Fairness Act of 2015https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/973

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    He is listed as a cosponsor.

    official legislative record

    For: David G. Valadao: Matches stated direction

  6. H.R. 1205, Social Security Fairness Act of 2017https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1205

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    He is listed as a cosponsor.

    official legislative record

    For: David G. Valadao: Matches stated direction

  7. H.R. 82, Social Security Fairness Act of 2021https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/82

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    He is listed as a cosponsor.

    official legislative record

    For: David G. Valadao: Matches stated direction

  8. H.R. 82, Social Security Fairness Act of 2023https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/82

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    Sponsored by Rep. Garret Graves; he cosponsored it on January 20, 2023. Became Public Law 118-273. Its summary says it repeals provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for people who also receive a pension such as one from a state or local government.

    official legislative record

    For: David G. Valadao: Matches stated direction

  9. Roll Call 456, H.R. 82, Social Security Fairness Act of 2023, on motion to suspend the rules and passhttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024456

    Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    Recorded vote of November 12, 2024, read from the Clerk's roll-call XML by his member ID. Passed 327-75, one present.

    official legislative record

    For: David G. Valadao: Matches stated direction

  10. Public Law 118-273 (H.R. 82, 118th Congress)https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-118publ273/html/PLAW-118publ273.htm

    U.S. Government Publishing Office · Published Jan 5, 2025 · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    The enacted text: section 2 repeals the government pension offset and section 3 the windfall elimination provisions. Approved January 5, 2025.

    official legislative record

    For: David G. Valadao: Matches stated direction

  11. The 2025 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Federal Disability Insurance Trust Funds (H. Doc. 119-62) (document)

    U.S. Government Publishing Office · Published Jun 23, 2025 · Reviewed Sep 25, 2026

    Section III.B says the Social Security Fairness Act increases benefits for people who worked in jobs not covered by Social Security and has a significant negative effect on the OASI Trust Fund.

    official legislative record

    For: David G. Valadao: Matches stated direction