I plan to vote for Christina Bohannan for Iowa’s First District congressional seat because of her position on Social Security. In an Oct. 10, 2025, email, she wrote: “It’s the job of our leaders to ensure every American gets the benefits they worked for.”

The challenge is clear. In its June 9 report, the Social Security Board of Trustees projected that the combined trust funds will pay full scheduled benefits only until 2034, after which about 83 percent of benefits would be payable. The retirement trust fund alone is projected to be depleted in 2032, leaving about 78 percent of scheduled benefits payable.

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks has served three terms in Congress without addressing this long-term financing problem. Instead, her recent campaign messages focus on eliminating “waste, fraud and abuse.” While fraud should be prevented, it is not the primary reason the trust fund faces depletion. The larger issue is a mismatch between revenue and promised benefits as demographics change.

One proposal, supported by many Democrats, is to lift or eliminate the cap on earnings subject to the Social Security payroll tax so higher-income earners contribute more.

I want my representative to focus on preserving Social Security’s long-term solvency rather than emphasizing a problem that, by itself, will not keep the program financially sound. That is why I will vote for Christina Bohannan in November.

~ Published as a letter to the editor in the July 30, 2026 Cedar Rapids Gazette.