Election 2026 · Public beta

Independent, source-first accountability

TheStatedRecordFind a race
Back to the race record

Issue record

Social Security and Medicare

In short

Cait Conley's campaign would add vision, dental and hearing to Medicare; in the debate, she proposed a payroll tax above $400,000 for Social Security. Mike Lawler's campaign cites the Social Security Fairness Act and a $6,000 senior deduction; in the debate, he called for new revenue. On the record, he cosponsored and voted for that act, now law. The deduction ends after 2028 and does not make all benefits tax-free.

Campaign positions

What each campaign says.

Cait Conley

Would expand Medicare to cover vision, dental and hearing. In the debate, proposed applying a payroll tax above $400,000 to support Social Security solvency.

Mike Lawler

Says he helped pass the Social Security Fairness Act and voted for a $6,000 senior tax deduction. In the debate, called for a bipartisan working group and new revenue for Social Security to avoid automatic benefit reductions.

Evidence timeline

What the record shows.

  1. campaign position

    Mike Lawler: record does not settle this

    The law adds a $6,000 age-65 deduction with income limits through 2028; benefits can still be taxed. The campaign's 88% comes from a June 2025 draft-stage estimate.

    Read the full check

    Full detail

    At the debate, Lawler described the package as providing no tax on Social Security. His campaign separately says the new $6,000-per-person deduction eliminates tax on benefits for 88% of seniors. Lawler voted for Public Law 119-21. Section 70103 creates a $6,000 deduction for each qualifying person age 65 or older, up to $12,000 jointly when both qualify, for 2025-2028. Each $6,000 amount is reduced by 6% of modified adjusted gross income above $75,000, or $150,000 jointly. Qualifying Social Security numbers and married-joint filing are required. Receiving Social Security is not required. IRS Publication 554 continues to calculate taxable Social Security benefits; in some circumstances up to 85% of benefits is included in taxable income. Why there is no verdict: The deduction does not make all Social Security benefits exempt, and 85% is an income-inclusion share, not a tax rate. Individual tax liabilities and the final-law share owing no tax were not calculated. The campaign’s 88% comes from a June 2025 Council of Economic Advisers estimate on a draft; the debate itself did not state that percentage. Limit: The deduction does not make all Social Security benefits exempt, and 85% is an income-inclusion share, not a tax rate. Individual tax liabilities and the final-law share owing no tax were not calculated. The campaign’s 88% comes from a June 2025 Council of Economic Advisers estimate on a draft; the debate itself did not state that percentage. Debate wording is paraphrased from native captions.

  2. official action

    Mike Lawler: Matches stated direction

    He cosponsored the bill, signed the petition to force a House vote and voted for it; it became law in January 2025.

    Read the full check

    Full detail

    His campaign says he championed and helped deliver passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, which raised benefits for teachers, police, firefighters and other public workers. He became a cosponsor of H.R. 82 on March 3, 2023, one of 330. He signed the discharge petition to force a House vote on the day it was filed, September 10, 2024, as signature 22 and the fourth Republican; it reached 218 signatures on September 19. He voted Yea when the House passed the bill 327-75 on November 12, 2024. It became Public Law 118-273 on January 5, 2025. Limit: He backed the bill, helped force the House vote and voted for it. He was one of 330 cosponsors and did not sponsor it, so championed is his word for it.

See something wrong or incomplete? Report it for review.

Sources14 source records

How we use sources

  1. Policyhttps://caitconley.com/policy/

    Cait for New York · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    Twelve policy sections. Undated; read October 1, 2026.

    candidate statement

    For: Cait Conley: campaign position

  2. News 12 debate: Social Security solvency proposalshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIU9kcsAldc&t=789s

    News 12 · Published Sep 28, 2026 · Reviewed Oct 4, 2026

    13:09-13:39 Conley; 14:03-14:23 Lawler. These are their proposals; the exchange about the reconciliation law is not adjudicated. Paraphrase from the host-matched native captions captured October 4; no independently confirmed exact quotation. Full native payload retained privately.

    candidate statement

    For: Cait Conley: campaign position; Mike Lawler: campaign position

  3. Issueshttps://www.lawlerforcongress.com/issues/

    Lawler for Congress, Inc. · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    Fifteen issue sections, most of them lists of bills and votes he names. Undated; read October 1, 2026.

    candidate statement

    For: Mike Lawler: campaign position; Mike Lawler: record does not settle this; Mike Lawler: Matches stated direction

  4. News 12 NY17 debate: lawler tips overtime (4:56)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIU9kcsAldc&t=296s

    News 12 · Published Sep 28, 2026 · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    September 28, 2026 debate. Statement paraphrased from retained native captions. One transcript is available, so no verbatim quotation is certified; neighboring opponent assertions are excluded.

    candidate statement

    For: Mike Lawler: record does not settle this

  5. Public Law 119-21, the 2025 reconciliation act (H.R. 1)https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-119publ21/html/PLAW-119publ21.htm

    U.S. Government Publishing Office · Published Jul 4, 2025 · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    Signed July 4, 2025. Sec. 70120 raises the SALT cap to $40,000 for 2025, rising 1% a year through 2029, phased down above $500,000 of income, and back to $10,000 from 2030. Sec. 70103 adds a $6,000 deduction for each person 65 or older through 2028. Sec. 70104 sets the child credit at $2,200. Secs. 70201 and 70202 add capped deductions for tips and overtime.

    official legislative record

    For: Mike Lawler: record does not settle this

  6. IRS Publication 554 for 2025: senior deduction and taxable Social Securityhttps://www.irs.gov/publications/p554

    Internal Revenue Service · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    Retains taxable-benefit calculations and explains the enhanced age-65 deduction. Up to 85% included in taxable income does not mean an 85% tax rate.

    official office record

    For: Mike Lawler: record does not settle this

  7. IRS 2025 Form 1040 instructions: SALT and new deductionshttps://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1040gi

    Internal Revenue Service · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    2025 instructions explain itemization, limits, income phaseouts and qualifying conditions. A deduction lowers taxable income; it is not a payment.

    official office record

    For: Mike Lawler: record does not settle this

  8. House Roll Call 190, 2025: H.R. 1, on agreeing to the Senate amendmenthttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025190

    Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    July 3, 2025. Carried 218-214. Lawler is recorded Aye.

    official legislative record

    For: Mike Lawler: record does not settle this

  9. The One Big Beautiful Bill Delivers on President Trump’s Promise of No Tax on Social Securityhttps://www.whitehouse.gov/research/2025/06/the-one-big-beautiful-bill-delivers-on-president-trumps-promise-of-no-tax-on-social-security/

    The White House, Council of Economic Advisers · Published Jun 30, 2025 · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    CEA analysis of June 30, 2025, the source of the 88% figure: seniors on Social Security whose deductions would exceed their taxable benefits. Its PDF says the numbers are for tax year 2026 and use the Senate draft of June 16, 2025. ssa.gov, which repeated the figure, returned 403.

    official office record

    For: Mike Lawler: record does not settle this

  10. Meet Mikehttps://www.lawlerforcongress.com/about/

    Lawler for Congress, Inc. · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    Campaign biography and a list of what it says he has done in Congress. Undated.

    candidate statement

    For: Mike Lawler: Matches stated direction

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

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Sponsor Garret Graves. Lawler became a cosponsor on March 3, 2023, one of 330. Became Public Law 118-273.

    official legislative record

    For: Mike Lawler: Matches stated direction

  12. Discharge Petition 118-16, on H.Res. 1410 (H.R. 82)https://clerk.house.gov/DischargePetition/2024091016?CongressNum=118

    Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Published Sep 10, 2024 · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Filed by Garret Graves on September 10, 2024, to force a vote on the Social Security Fairness Act. Lawler is signature 22, signed September 10, 2024, the fourth of 47 Republicans. Signature 218 came on September 19, 2024.

    official legislative record

    For: Mike Lawler: Matches stated direction

  13. House Roll Call 456, 2024: H.R. 82, Social Security Fairness Acthttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024456

    Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    November 12, 2024. Carried 327-75. Lawler is recorded Yea.

    official legislative record

    For: Mike Lawler: Matches stated direction

  14. Public Law 118-273, Social Security Fairness Act of 2023https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-118publ273/html/PLAW-118publ273.htm

    U.S. Government Publishing Office · Published Jan 5, 2025 · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Signed January 5, 2025.

    official legislative record

    For: Mike Lawler: Matches stated direction