Election 2026

Independent, source-first accountability

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Issue record

Social Security

In short

Collins's campaign calls the Social Security Fairness Act her work, and its pages set out no plan for the program's finances or benefits; Jackson's would scrap the cap on taxed earnings, raise benefits and never back a higher retirement age or privatization. For 20 years Collins introduced the Fairness Act beside its Senate sponsor, never as sponsor herself. She voted for the House version, which became law in January 2025.

Campaign positions

What each campaign says.

Susan M. Collins

Her campaign presents the Social Security Fairness Act as her work and calls her the leader in the Senate for Social Security. The campaign pages reviewed set out no plan for the program's finances or benefit levels.

Troy D. Jackson

In a Bangor Daily News op-ed his campaign republished, he proposes scrapping the cap on earnings subject to the Social Security tax and increasing benefits, and says he will never support raising the retirement age or privatizing the program.

Evidence timeline

What the record shows.

  1. official action

    Susan M. Collins: Matches stated record claim

    For 20 years she introduced it beside its Senate sponsor, never as sponsor herself; she backed the House bill enacted in January 2025. The 25,000 Mainers figure was not checked.

    Read the full check

    Full detail

    Her campaign calls her the author of the Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law in 2025, and says more than 25,000 Mainers have since had their earned benefits restored. The Act was introduced in the Senate in every Congress from 2003 to 2023, and the text of every version as introduced names her: first after the sponsor in ten of those eleven Congresses, on Dianne Feinstein's bills of 2003 to 2009, John Kerry's of 2011 and Sherrod Brown's of 2015 to 2023, and third on Mark Begich's of 2013. Before that, in November 2001, she was the first senator to cosponsor Feinstein's 2001 version, S. 1523. The Congressional Record of February 11, 2003 prints her saying she was pleased to join Feinstein in introducing it. No version names her as sponsor. The measure that became law was the House bill, H.R. 82, sponsored by Representative Garret Graves; in the Senate debate she thanked Brown for his leadership and said they had championed the bill together for several years. She voted Yea when the Senate passed it 76 to 20 in the sitting that began December 20, 2024 (Roll Call 338), and it became Public Law 118-273 on January 5, 2025. Limit: The label reads author as the record shows her role: for twenty years she introduced the bill beside its sponsor, which is a co-author's part. The record does not make her its only author. Each Senate version was another senator's bill, and the one that became law was the House's. Her campaign's FAQ lists the Act among legislation she authored or co-authored, which is the closer description. The figure of 25,000 Mainers is the Social Security Administration's to publish and is not checked here.

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Sources20 source records

How we use sources

  1. Track Recordhttps://susancollins.com/track-record/

    Collins for Senator · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Campaign-controlled source and the fullest statement of the record she runs on: workforce, health care, Alzheimer's, diabetes, Social Security and congressionally directed spending.

    candidate statement

    For: Susan M. Collins: campaign position; Susan M. Collins: Matches stated record claim

  2. Susan Collins for Maine, home pagehttps://susancollins.com/

    Collins for Senator · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Campaign-controlled source; "Paid for by Collins for Senator". The committee's FEC record gives this site. Its roll-call figure, more than 9,800, is older than the 10,000 her FAQ and About pages give. The site's 17 pages and 213 posts (February 2025 to September 2026) were read through its public WordPress interface; most posts are reposted news and letters, which are not her statements.

    candidate statement

    For: Susan M. Collins: campaign position

  3. Troy Jackson, Bangor Daily: "Mainers Depend On The Promise Of Social Security. I Intend To Keep It."https://www.jacksonformaine.com/news/troy-jackson-bangor-daily-mainers-depend-on-the-promise-of-social-security-i-intend-to-keep-it

    Troy Jackson for Maine · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Campaign release reprinting his Bangor Daily News op-ed, dated September 12, 2026 on the site.

    candidate statement

    For: Troy D. Jackson: campaign position

  4. S. 1523, Social Security Fairness Act of 2001, 107th Congresshttps://www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/senate-bill/1523

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Introduced by Dianne Feinstein alone on October 10, 2001 and referred to Finance. Collins is the first of 14 cosponsors, joining November 7, 2001; none was an original cosponsor.

    official legislative record

    For: Susan M. Collins: Matches stated record claim

  5. S. 349, Social Security Fairness Act of 2003, 108th Congresshttps://www.congress.gov/bill/108th-congress/senate-bill/349

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Sponsor Dianne Feinstein, introduced February 11, 2003. Introduced text: "Mrs. Feinstein (for herself, Ms. Collins, ..."; Collins is the first of 30 cosponsors, an original one.

    official legislative record

    For: Susan M. Collins: Matches stated record claim

  6. S. 619, Social Security Fairness Act of 2005, 109th Congresshttps://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/619

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Sponsor Dianne Feinstein, introduced March 14, 2005, "for herself, Ms. Collins, ..."; Collins first of 29 cosponsors, an original one.

    official legislative record

    For: Susan M. Collins: Matches stated record claim

  7. S. 206, Social Security Fairness Act of 2007, 110th Congresshttps://www.congress.gov/bill/110th-congress/senate-bill/206

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Sponsor Dianne Feinstein, introduced January 9, 2007, "for herself, Ms. Collins, ..."; Collins first of 38 cosponsors, an original one.

    official legislative record

    For: Susan M. Collins: Matches stated record claim

  8. S. 484, Social Security Fairness Act of 2009, 111th Congresshttps://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/senate-bill/484

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Sponsor Dianne Feinstein, introduced February 25, 2009, "for herself, Ms. Collins, ..."; Collins first of 31 cosponsors, an original one.

    official legislative record

    For: Susan M. Collins: Matches stated record claim

  9. S. 2010, Social Security Fairness Act of 2011, 112th Congresshttps://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/senate-bill/2010

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Sponsor John Kerry, introduced December 16, 2011 "for himself and Ms. Collins"; she was its only original cosponsor.

    official legislative record

    For: Susan M. Collins: Matches stated record claim

  10. S. 896, Social Security Fairness Act of 2013, 113th Congresshttps://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/896

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Sponsor Mark Begich, introduced May 8, 2013 "for himself, Mr. Heller, Ms. Warren, and Ms. Collins"; Collins third of three original cosponsors.

    official legislative record

    For: Susan M. Collins: Matches stated record claim

  11. S. 1651, Social Security Fairness Act of 2015, 114th Congresshttps://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1651

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Sponsor Sherrod Brown, introduced June 23, 2015, "for himself, Ms. Collins, ..."; Collins first of 25 cosponsors, an original one.

    official legislative record

    For: Susan M. Collins: Matches stated record claim

  12. S. 915, Social Security Fairness Act of 2017, 115th Congresshttps://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/915

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Sponsor Sherrod Brown, introduced April 24, 2017, "for himself, Ms. Collins, ..."; Collins first of 27 cosponsors, an original one.

    official legislative record

    For: Susan M. Collins: Matches stated record claim

  13. S. 521, Social Security Fairness Act, 116th Congresshttps://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/521

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Sponsor Sherrod Brown; Collins first among 38 cosponsors, an original one.

    official legislative record

    For: Susan M. Collins: Matches stated record claim

  14. S. 1302, Social Security Fairness Act, 117th Congresshttps://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1302

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Sponsor Sherrod Brown; Collins first among 42 cosponsors, an original one.

    official legislative record

    For: Susan M. Collins: Matches stated record claim

  15. S. 597, Social Security Fairness Act, 118th Congresshttps://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/597

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Sponsor Sherrod Brown; Collins first among 62 cosponsors, an original one, and first named in the introduced text ("Mr. Brown (for himself, Ms. Collins, ...").

    official legislative record

    For: Susan M. Collins: Matches stated record claim

  16. Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions: S. 349, Social Security Fairness Acthttps://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2003-02-11/html/CREC-2003-02-11-pt1-PgS2188-3.htm

    U.S. Government Publishing Office · Published Feb 11, 2003 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Congressional Record of February 11, 2003. Prints S. 349 introduced "By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Ms. Collins, ..." and Collins's statement that she is "pleased to join with my colleague from California, Senator Feinstein, in introducing the Social Security Fairness Act".

    official legislative record

    For: Susan M. Collins: Matches stated record claim

  17. Social Security Fairness Act debate, December 18, 2024https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2024-12-18/html/CREC-2024-12-18-pt1-PgS7134-3.htm

    U.S. Government Publishing Office · Published Dec 18, 2024 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Congressional Record of December 18, 2024. Collins speaks in support of H.R. 82, thanks Senator Brown for his leadership and says "We have championed this bill together for several years." Her own account, printed in the official Record.

    official legislative record

    For: Susan M. Collins: Matches stated record claim

  18. H.R. 82, Social Security Fairness Act of 2023, Public Law 118-273https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/82

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Sponsor Representative Garret Graves. The bill that became law, on January 5, 2025.

    official legislative record

    For: Susan M. Collins: Matches stated record claim

  19. Roll Call Vote 338, H.R. 82, Social Security Fairness Act, on passagehttps://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2024-12-20/html/CREC-2024-12-20-pt1-PgS7302.htm

    U.S. Government Publishing Office · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Congressional Record for the sitting that began December 20, 2024; the vote was taken after midnight, on December 21. Passed 76 to 20. Read with the shared collector, which checks the printed names against the block headers and the announced tally.

    official legislative record

    For: Susan M. Collins: Matches stated record claim

  20. Susan M. Collins, member recordhttps://www.congress.gov/member/susan-collins/C001035

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Read through the Congress.gov API: Republican senator for Maine in every Congress from the 105th (1997) to the 119th. Also the source of her sponsored-legislation list, 1,208 items, which holds no Social Security Fairness Act of her own.

    official office record

    For: Susan M. Collins: Matches stated record claim