"Those in the system are seeing their benefits dwindle due to higher taxes, increasing inflation and irresponsible public spending.

"The proposed solutions, ranging from lower benefits to higher taxes to increasing the age of eligibility, are NOT solutions; they are betrayals."
» Source: Ronpaul2008.com

GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul wants to make sure that Social Security money remains for retirees who have put money into the program. He aims to keep the government and who he feels are undeserving beneficiaries from dipping into these precious funds.

Here are his positions on reforming Social Security:

• Reduce payroll taxes so workers can invest their own money.
• Opposes permitting workers to put Social Security payroll taxes into private retirement accounts.
• Opposes taxation of Social Security benefits. He introduced the Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act (H.R. 191), which would eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits.
• Supports efforts to keep the federal government from spending Social Security dollars on other programs. He introduced the Social Security Preservation Act (H.R. 219), which mandates that money paid into the system is only used for Social Security.
• Opposes letting illegal immigrants receive Social Security benefits. His bill, the Social Security for Americans Only Act (H.R. 190), prevents benefits from being paid to anyone who hasn't put money into the program.
• Supports permitting young workers to opt out of Social Security program in favor of the private market.

*Rep. Paul's voting record on Social Security issues:

Voted Topic Date YES Raising 401(k) limits and making pension plans more portable May 2001 YES Reducing tax payments on Social Security benefits July 2000 NO Strengthening the Social Security lockbox May 1999 N/A Rated 30 percent by the Alliance for Retired Americans, indicating an anti-senior voting record. Dec. 2003

*Members of Congress sometimes vote on different versions of a bill. Voting yes or no on one doesn't mean they'll vote the same way on succeeding versions.