Ohio Voters Misled by False Claims About Sen. Sherrod Brown’s Social Security Record
Ohio residents have been subjected to a wave of advertisements, websites, and social media posts inaccurately asserting that Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown voted to reduce Social Security benefits. These allegations misrepresent Brown’s actual stance and voting record.
Brown is in the race for a fourth term in the U.S. Senate, facing competition from Bernie Moreno, a car dealership owner and Republican candidate.
Moreno’s campaign website includes a section titled “Key Messaging Against Sherrod Brown,” which alleges that Brown voted to extend Social Security benefits to undocumented immigrants and supported measures to increase the retirement age and reduce cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security recipients.
Leading Republican organizations have echoed these claims. One Nation, a political action committee linked with Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), aired a television ad stating that Brown voted to “give illegals Social Security benefits.” Additionally, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) released a memo accusing Brown of endorsing the Bowles–Simpson commission’s 2010 recommendations to raise the retirement age and cut Social Security to reduce the deficit.
During a 2012 debate, Brown addressed his position on Bowles–Simpson and the idea of raising the retirement age.
“I’ve spoken positively of Bowles–Simpson as a beginning place to negotiate, but I would not have voted for Bowles–Simpson exactly as it stood,” Brown said. “The answer [on raising the retirement age] is no.”
Brown’s actions support his statements. In 2010, when the Bowles–Simpson commission was preparing its proposals, Brown introduced a resolution opposing cuts to Social Security. In 2012, he joined a letter explicitly opposing the commission’s recommended cuts.
The accusation regarding undocumented immigrants stems from a 2013 vote where Brown opposed a Republican resolution aimed at preventing noncitizens from receiving federal health care benefits. Given that noncitizens were already ineligible for such benefits, the resolution was largely symbolic. His vote against it did not indicate support for granting federal benefits to noncitizens.
In 2022, Brown put forward a resolution reaffirming the Senate’s commitment to protecting Social Security benefits for future generations.
“Ohioans pay into Social Security with every paycheck, and they want to know they can count on it when they retire,” Brown stated. “That shouldn’t be partisan – Social Security is one of the most popular and most unifying institutions in the country. Ohioans should not have to worry with every election that politicians are going to try to take away the retirement they earned.”
A Morning Consult poll conducted in September indicated that Brown holds a two-percentage-point lead over Moreno.
The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare has endorsed Brown’s campaign.
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