In his announcement speech for the Presidency, Governor Huntsman stated that the current path of social security and other entitlements was not sustainable. He has continued this theme throughout the presidential campaign noting numerous times that Americans must accept that social security and Medicare will be different in the future.
One of the changes that must be made to social security is the implementation of means testing to both social security and Medicare. This would reward social security and Medicare benefits only to those that the government deems need the benefits from a financial basis. Those that have the means to pay for their own retirement would not be entitled to social security benefits.
In keeping with a means testing approach, Governor Huntsman has called for a shared sacrifice from those capable of sacrificing. He has stated that he would consider raising the money collected from the wealthiest of Americans to help make up the costs of social security.
Campaign Annoucement
In June of 2011, Governor Huntsman announced his candidacy for President. In his announcement speech, he noted that if something was not done social security, Medicare, and Medicaid would consume almost all of the US government's income.
And we must make hard decisions that are necessary to avert disaster. If we don't, in less than a decade, every dollar of federal revenue will go to covering the costs of Medicare, Social Security and interest payments on our debt. Meanwhile, we'll sink deeper in debt to pay for everything else - from national security to disaster relief. Our country will fall behind the productivity of other countries. Our influence in the world will wane. Our security will be more precarious. The 21st Century then will be known as the end of the American Century. We can't accept this, and we won't.
Road to the White House
In August of 2011, Governor Huntsman was featured on CSPAN's Road to the White House. He is asked if means testing should be allowed for social security and responds that it absolutely should be on the table.
Interviewer: So should there be a means test in terms of income in whether or not you receive social security?
Governor Huntsman: Absolutely. Absolutely there should be. There are a lot of people in this country who don't need social security, who don't need Medicare. I think that we need to look realistically at where we have to be drawing those lines. Means testing absolutely should be on the table. We've got to look at these programs, this is 2/3 of our nation's budget, we need to look at these programs and say "we can't afford to keep doing things the old fashion way." It's gonna bankrupt this country.
You sit down and try to extrapolate it to 2020 for example ... I tried to explain this to my kids the other day, their generation, following Medicare, and social security and interest on the debt, there's nothing left.
PBS NewsHour
In August of 2011, Governor Huntsman was interviewed by PBS NewsHour and discussed the subject of social security. He states his support for means testing and that there are some populations that do not need social security and Medicare and that he would move to end the benefits portion for those who do not need the program and increase the payment portion for those who can afford it.
Governor Huntsman: I would say that there's going to have to be a shared sacrifice in this country. People at all levels are gonna have to step up. Whether it's recognizing that Medicare is going to be done a little differently, social security is going to be done a little differently ... and as President, I wouldn't hesitate to call on sacrifice from all of our people, even those at the highest end of in the income earners.
Interviewer: Higher taxes?
Governor Huntsman: Well, I'm not saying higher taxes, I'm saying there's contributions that they can make too. As President, when you look at the full spectrum of options, where this country is and what we need to deliver a truly competitive economy for our people, we're gonna have to ask for sacrifice and I'm not going to hesitate to do that.
Interviewer: What does that mean though specifically?
Governor Huntsman: Over time, we're going to figure that out. But I'm not going to give a one size fits all scenario here. I know that there are people that can give, perhaps more than others. Maybe as it relates to means testing around social security and Medicare, there are people who don't need these programs and I think that we need to look realisticlly at where we are, where our vulnerable spots are, where our vulnerable populations are, recognize that for what it is, recognize those programs that don't need these programs and make some choices around that.
TEA Party Debate
In September of 2011, Governor Huntsman appeared in the TEA Party debate in Tamp Bay, Florida. He stated that solutions were available for those that wanted them. He noted the Paul Ryan plan as one solution.
BLITZER: Governor Huntsman, when it comes to reforming Social Security, is anything from your perspective off the table?
HUNTSMAN: I don't think anything should be off the table except maybe some of the drama that's playing out here on this floor today. I mean, to hear these two go at it over here, it's almost incredible.
You've got Governor Romney, who called it a fraud in his book "No Apology." I don't know if that was written by Kurt Cobain or not. And then you've got Governor Perry, who is calling this a Ponzi scheme.
All I know, Wolf, is that we're frightening the American people who just want solutions. And this party isn't going to win in 2012 unless we get our act together and fix the problem.
We all know that we've got entitlement problems, we've got Medicare, we've got Social -- the fixes are there. I mean, the Ryan plan is there, for heaven's sake.
We've got the answers. We don't have leadership. That's the problem.
