May 31, 2015

This should go over with his constituency like a lead balloon. Here's presumptive 2016 presidential nominee Jeb Bush when asked about Social Security benefits on this Sunday's Face the Nation.

SCHIEFFER: Let me ask you about Social Security.

You recently said you favor raising the retirement age for Social Security. To what age?

BUSH: I think it needs to be phased in over an extended period of time. I have seen ideas that are 68, for example.

So people that already have the supplemental retirement system, which is a contract, I don't think we violate that. For people that are about ready to be beneficiaries of their supplemental retirement, I don't think we change that.

But we need to look over the horizon and begin to phase in over an extended period of time going from 65 to 68 or 70. And that by itself will help sustain the retirement system for anybody under the age of 40.

SCHIEFFER: What about means-testing?

BUSH: I think it ought to be considered, for sure.

SCHIEFFER: You do think so?

BUSH: I do so, yes.

Spoken like a man who will never have to rely on Social Security benefits a single day in his life.

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