Bob Kerrey: “I appreciate very much this proposal, because coming from the Senator from New York, it is, I think, much more likely to…”

“I appreciate very much this proposal, because coming from the Senator from New York, it is, I think, much more likely to gather the attention of Americans who understand that this is a gentleman who is a strong defender of the Social Security Program; he understands its value. One out of seven Americans who get Social Security have Social Security as their only source of income. Without Social Security and Medicare, the rate of poverty over the age of 85 would be 54 percent. It is 12 percent today. It is a program that has transformed America as we know it and has made it a much better country, a much happier country. It can be changed; it can be changed in a way that will make the program even better, even more able to meet the needs of the American people.”