Rep. Brian Steele of Wisconsin outlined his plan to support Social Security and Medicare in his first re-election campaign ad and in a town hall meeting Wednesday, even though Democrats still don't believe the congressman is sincere.
“Social Security and Medicare are our promises to seniors, and they are promises that must be kept,” Steele told participants on a conference call.
Steele said growing the economy without raising taxes or expanding government spending is essential to ensuring programs can continue for future generations.
“Even if you're taxed at the same rate, people who earn higher wages pay more. So the more our economy grows and expands, the better we're able to fund Social Security and Medicare without raising taxes,” Steele said.
He also argued that reckless government spending on other nonessential government programs puts Social Security and Medicare at risk of collapse.
“We need to look at the infrastructure investments we need and do it smartly. The goal is to make sure our economy is growing. Instead of raising tax rates, as people make more money, they pay more into the pie. And in doing so, we have another mechanism to protect Social Security and Medicare,” he said.
But Wisconsin Democrats don't believe Steele is serious, and have accused him on the campaign trail of working with conservatives who want to cut the program.
“Despite presenting himself as a fighter for Wisconsinites, Brian Steele has proven himself to be nothing more than a run-of-the-mill MAGA Republican hack, aligning himself with the dangerous Trump Vance Project 2025 agenda,” Haley McCoy, deputy communications director for the state Democratic Party, said in a statement Thursday.
Trump has publicly distanced himself from Project 2025, which does not call for cutting Social Security or abolishing Medicare. According to political fact-checker Politifact:.
Steele, who represents Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District, also announced his first run for reelection. Election Advertising “Rising prices are leaving many seniors struggling, which is why I'm working to protect Social Security and Medicare,” he said in a speech Wednesday featuring his 100-year-old grandmother.
Steele's opponent, former Wisconsin House Minority Leader Peter Barca, is also campaigning on protecting federal programs for seniors.
