Issue record

Social Security and Medicare

In short

El-Sayed's campaign would close the payroll tax cap and opposes privatizing Medicare; Rogers's campaign would protect both programs and opposes taxing seniors' benefits. Christensen's campaign would fight any cut to Social Security benefits; no position from Long, Marsh or Kristy was found. In the House through 2015, Rogers voted for Medicare's drug benefit law, a 2004 Social Security law and budget plans, not law, that kept current benefits but assumed premium support for future enrollees.

Campaign positions

What each campaign says.

Abdul El-Sayed

He says he will fight to close the Social Security payroll tax cap so the program stays solvent, and categorically opposes privatizing Medicare.

Mike Rogers

His campaign lists protecting seniors' Social Security and Medicare among what putting Michigan first means. He opposes taxing seniors' Social Security, and credits what he calls the Working Families Tax Cuts with cutting those taxes.

Lydia Christensen

She promises to fight any cut to Social Security benefits. Going forward, workers could stop paying their own share; employers would keep paying theirs, on all wages with no cap.

Tim Long

No campaign website, platform or public statement by him was found. His FEC committee registration lists no website, the U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan's candidates page lists no candidates, and a web search for his name with the party and the office returned only election listings.

Douglas P. Marsh

No position on Social Security or Medicare was found on his campaign site, which sets out five priorities: affordability, universal health care, housing, a ceasefire and clean water.

Walter P. Kristy

No campaign website, platform or public statement by him was found. The FEC records no campaign committee for him, the Natural Law Party of Michigan's site refused an automated reader and was not read, and a web search for his name with the party and the office returned only election listings and a poll.

Evidence timeline

What the record shows.

Occurred Apr 10, 2014
campaign position
Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
He voted for the law adding Medicare's drug benefit and a 2004 Social Security law, and for House budget plans that kept current benefits but assumed premium support for future enrollees.
Read the full check
Full detail
His campaign lists protecting seniors' Social Security and Medicare among what putting America and Michigan first means. In 2001 he sponsored the Social Security Lock-box Act (H.R. 373), which would have created a budget point of order against spending the Social Security trust fund's surplus, and the Social Security Protection Act (H.R. 2865), which would have required cuts in non-defense discretionary spending equal to any 2001 deficit; neither left committee. He voted Yea when the House passed another member's lock-box bill, H.R. 2, 407 to 2 on February 13, 2001 (Roll Call 13); it did not become law. He cosponsored bills in 2001 and 2003 (H.R. 122 and H.R. 434) to repeal the second, 85 per cent tier of income tax on Social Security benefits; neither left committee. He voted for two laws that changed the programs. The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (Public Law 108-173) added the Part D prescription drug benefit; he voted Aye on passage on June 27, 2003 (Roll Call 332) and Yea on the conference report on November 22, 2003 (Roll Call 669). The Social Security Protection Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-203), whose first title is headed "Protection of Beneficiaries", had his Aye on passage on April 2, 2003 (Roll Call 102) and his Yea on the final version on February 11, 2004 (Roll Call 23). On April 15, 2011 he voted Yea on the House budget resolution for fiscal 2012 (Roll Call 277). Its Medicare section kept current benefits for those in and near retirement "without changes", and assumed that for future generations Medicare would be reformed to provide a premium support payment and a choice of guaranteed coverage options. The Senate voted 40 to 57 against taking it up (Record Vote 77, May 25, 2011). He voted Yea on the House's next three budget resolutions, for fiscal 2013, 2014 and 2015 (Roll Call 151 of 2012, 88 of 2013 and 177 of 2014), each of which assumed the same: current benefits preserved for those in or near retirement and premium support for future generations. A budget resolution does not become law. He voted No on the Affordable Care Act, which also changed Medicare, on March 21, 2010 (Roll Call 165), and Aye on repealing it on January 19, 2011 (Roll Call 14). Limit: The claim is a promise about what he would do as a senator, and the record is a House record that ended in 2015. It runs both ways. The Social Security bills he sponsored, and the repeal of the tax on benefits he cosponsored, never became law, but he voted for two laws that changed the programs, one of which added Medicare's prescription drug benefit. He also voted for four House budget resolutions that kept current benefits for those in or near retirement and assumed premium support for future beneficiaries; a budget resolution is a plan, not a law. Whether premium support for future beneficiaries counts as protecting Medicare is a policy judgment this site does not make; the record shows what he sponsored and a selection of his votes, not every vote he cast on these programs. His cosponsored bills were searched by title; the many Medicare provider-payment bills among them are not listed here.

Sources36 source records

How we use sources

Priorities: Money in Your Pockethttps://abdulforsenate.com/priority/money-in-your-pocket/
Abdul for U.S. Senate · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Campaign-controlled source. Positions are attributed, not independently verified facts. Covers jobs, trade, taxes, technology, housing, education and farming.
candidate statement
For: Abdul El-Sayed: campaign position
Priorities: Medicare for Allhttps://abdulforsenate.com/priority/medicare-for-all-the-path-to-a-healthier-america/
Abdul for U.S. Senate · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Campaign-controlled source. Positions are attributed, not independently verified facts. Covers health care, veterans, drug prices and public health.
candidate statement
For: Abdul El-Sayed: campaign position
Campaign home pagehttps://rogersforsenate.com/
Rogers for Senate · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Campaign-controlled source. Positions are attributed, not independently verified facts. Carries the line "Paid for by Rogers for Senate", and the domain matches the website his principal committee filed with the FEC. Links his X, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube accounts.
candidate statement
For: Mike Rogers: campaign position; Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
Op-ed: Democrats turned their backs on working familieshttps://rogersforsenate.com/news/7t0qw9eho3lf8i19j908ihnl3kedda
Rogers for Senate · Published Jul 2, 2026 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Campaign-controlled source. Positions are attributed, not independently verified facts. His op-ed of July 2, 2026, first printed in The Midwesterner. Only his own position is used; its lines about his opponents are out of scope.
candidate statement
For: Mike Rogers: campaign position
Op-ed: The Working Families Tax Cuts Are a Game-Changer For Michiganhttps://rogersforsenate.com/news/op-ed-the-working-families-tax-cuts-are-a-game-changer-for-michigan
Rogers for Senate · Published Apr 15, 2026 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Campaign-controlled source. Positions are attributed, not independently verified facts. His op-ed of April 15, 2026, first printed in The Midwesterner and posted on his campaign site.
candidate statement
For: Mike Rogers: campaign position
Issues & Platformhttps://www.lydialynnchristensen.com/issues
Lydia Christensen for U.S. Senate · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Campaign-controlled source. Positions are attributed, not independently verified facts. Fifty-two issue entries in eleven categories, rendered in the browser from the site's own data file (https://www.lydialynnchristensen.com/get_issues.php), which is what the quote checks read. The page says its policies are living documents that she updates.
candidate statement
For: Lydia Christensen: campaign position
COMMITTEE TO ELECT TIMOTHY E LONG TO THE US SENATEhttps://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00957514/
Federal Election Commission · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Principal campaign committee for candidate S6MI00566 ("LONG, TIMOTHY E", U.S. Taxpayers Party). Its only filing is a Statement of Organization received July 27, 2026, which lists no website. It has filed no financial report.
fec filing
For: Tim Long: campaign position
Candidateshttps://ustpm.org/candidates
U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
The party's candidates page, read in a browser on 2026-09-23 because the site is built in the browser. It read "No candidates have been added yet."
endorsement
For: Tim Long: campaign position
Vote MARSH for Michiganhttps://www.electmarsh.org/
Committee to Elect Douglas P. Marsh · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Campaign-controlled source. Positions are attributed, not independently verified facts. A one-page site whose domain matches the website his committee filed with the FEC. It sets out five priorities and links no social account.
candidate statement
For: Douglas P. Marsh: campaign position
KRISTY, WALTER P., candidate S6MI00590https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/S6MI00590/
Federal Election Commission · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
The FEC's candidate record, party Natural Law Party. OpenFEC lists no committee of any designation for this candidate and no filing under his candidate ID.
fec filing
For: Walter P. Kristy: campaign position
Natural Law Party in Michiganhttps://nlpmi.org/
Natural Law Party of Michigan · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
The party's site. On 2026-09-23 it answered with a Cloudflare challenge page (HTTP 403) and was not read.
endorsement
For: Walter P. Kristy: campaign position
H.R. 373, Social Security Lock-box Act of 2001https://www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/house-bill/373
Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Sponsored by him; summary read; referred to committee, no further action.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
H.R. 2865, Social Security Protection Act, 107th Congresshttps://www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/house-bill/2865
Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Sponsored by him; summary read; referred to committee, no further action.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
H.R. 2, Social Security and Medicare Lock-Box Act of 2001, 107th Congresshttps://www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/house-bill/2
Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Sponsored by Rep. Wally Herger, not by him. Passed the House 407 to 2 on February 13, 2001 (Roll Call 13); in the Senate it went no further than committee referral and discharge.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
Roll Call 13, H.R. 2, on motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amendedhttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/200113
Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Recorded vote of February 13, 2001, read from the Clerk's roll-call XML by name and state, as "Rogers (MI)", distinct from "Rogers (KY)".
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
H.R. 122, Social Security Benefits Tax Relief Act of 2001https://www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/house-bill/122
Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Sponsored by Rep. Sam Johnson; he is listed as a cosponsor from February 6, 2001. Summary: repeal the 85 percent (second tier) taxation of Social Security and Railroad Retirement benefits. Referred to the Ways and Means Committee; no further action.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
H.R. 434, Social Security Benefits Tax Relief Act of 2003https://www.congress.gov/bill/108th-congress/house-bill/434
Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Sponsored by Rep. Sam Johnson; he is listed as a cosponsor from February 11, 2003. The 108th-Congress version of H.R. 122. Referred to the Ways and Means Committee; no further action.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
H.R. 1, Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003https://www.congress.gov/bill/108th-congress/house-bill/1
Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Sponsored by Speaker Dennis Hastert. Became Public Law 108-173 on December 8, 2003.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
Public Law 108-173, Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/PLAW-108publ173
U.S. Government Publishing Office · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Enacted text. It adds a new "Part D--Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program" to Medicare. Title XI, "Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals", changes the rules for generic drug applications.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
Roll Call 332, H.R. 1, on passagehttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2003332
Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Recorded vote of June 27, 2003 (216 to 215), read from the Clerk's roll-call XML by member ID R000572.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
Roll Call 669, H.R. 1, on agreeing to the conference reporthttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2003669
Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Recorded vote of November 22, 2003 (220 to 215), read from the Clerk's roll-call XML by member ID R000572.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
H.R. 743, Social Security Protection Act of 2004https://www.congress.gov/bill/108th-congress/house-bill/743
Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Sponsored by Rep. Clay Shaw. Became Public Law 108-203 on March 2, 2004.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
Public Law 108-203, Social Security Protection Act of 2004https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/PLAW-108publ203
U.S. Government Publishing Office · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Enacted text. Its first title is headed "Protection of Beneficiaries" and begins with a subtitle on representative payees.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
Roll Call 102, H.R. 743, on passagehttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2003102
Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Recorded vote of April 2, 2003 (396 to 28), read from the Clerk's roll-call XML by member ID R000572.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
Roll Call 23, H.R. 743, on agreeing to the Senate amendmenthttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/200423
Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Recorded vote of February 11, 2004 (402 to 19), read from the Clerk's roll-call XML by member ID R000572.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
H.Con.Res. 34, concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2012https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/34
Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Adopted by the House 235 to 193 on April 15, 2011 (Roll Call 277); the Senate rejected a motion to proceed to it 40 to 57 on May 25, 2011 (Record Vote 77). Section 501 of the engrossed text, read at GovInfo (BILLS-112hconres34eh), states the resolution's Medicare assumptions.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
Roll Call 277, H.Con.Res. 34, on agreeing to the resolutionhttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2011277
Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Recorded vote of April 15, 2011, read from the Clerk's roll-call XML by member ID R000572.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
H.Con.Res. 112, concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2013https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/112
Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Adopted by the House 228 to 191 on March 29, 2012 (Roll Call 151). Its Medicare section, read in the engrossed text at GovInfo (BILLS-112hconres112eh), assumes current benefits preserved for those in and near retirement and premium support for future generations.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
Roll Call 151, H.Con.Res. 112, on agreeing to the resolutionhttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2012151
Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Recorded vote of March 29, 2012, read from the Clerk's roll-call XML by member ID R000572.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
H.Con.Res. 25, concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2014https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/25
Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Adopted by the House 221 to 207 on March 21, 2013 (Roll Call 88). Its Medicare section, read in the engrossed text at GovInfo (BILLS-113hconres25eh), assumes current benefits preserved for those in or near retirement and premium support for future generations.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
Roll Call 88, H.Con.Res. 25, on agreeing to the concurrent resolutionhttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/201388
Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Recorded vote of March 21, 2013, read from the Clerk's roll-call XML by member ID R000572.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
H.Con.Res. 96, concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2015https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/96
Congress.gov · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Adopted by the House 219 to 205 on April 10, 2014 (Roll Call 177). Its Medicare section, read in the engrossed text at GovInfo (BILLS-113hconres96eh), assumes current benefits preserved for those in or near retirement and premium support for future generations.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
Roll Call 177, H.Con.Res. 96, on agreeing to the resolutionhttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2014177
Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Recorded vote of April 10, 2014, read from the Clerk's roll-call XML by member ID R000572.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
Public Law 111-148, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Acthttps://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/PLAW-111publ148
U.S. Government Publishing Office · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Enacted text. Title III, subtitle B is headed "Improving Medicare for Patients and Providers". Section 7002 sets up an approval pathway for biosimilar biological products, effective no sooner than 12 years after the original was first licensed.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
Roll Call 165, H.R. 3590, motion to concur in Senate amendmentshttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2010165
Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Recorded vote of March 21, 2010, on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, read from the Clerk's roll-call XML by member ID R000572.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet
Roll Call 14, H.R. 2, on passagehttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2011014
Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026
Recorded vote of January 19, 2011, on H.R. 2, the House bill to repeal the 2010 health care law, read from the Clerk's roll-call XML by member ID R000572.
official legislative record
For: Mike Rogers: Not comparable yet