Republican New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu told CNN's Dana Bash on Sunday morning that Social Security cuts should be "on the table."
Newsweek reached out to President-elect Donald Trump's transition team and Sununu's office via email for comment Sunday morning.
Why It Matters
There are nearly 56 million Americans aged 65 or older who receive Social Security. While Americans have been paying into the system for years, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is scheduled to run out of money for full payments as early as 2035.
Social Security is a dicey issue on Capitol Hill as lawmakers want to solve the federal program's insolvency crisis but don't want to upset their constituents who benefit from it.
What To Know
Appearing on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, Sununu, who did not seek reelection this year, talked about what he hopes the government will do to rein in spending with the incoming Trump administration and a Republican-controlled House and Senate.
"What they want to do in their political opportunity with the political momentum of this election is to build something lasting with a balanced budget amendment, taking on, maybe not tomorrow, but understanding the challenges of Social Security are real. I mean everyone's Social Security benefits get cut 17 percent—," he said.
Social Security officials project that program recipients could lose 17 percent of their benefits in 2035 if no legislative action is taken.
Bash then chimed in: "But Trump's already said he's not going to touch Social Security."
"And that's the challenge. Getting over that political hump. To get folks on the Hill to say, 'Either we deal with this in a crisis eight years from now or we deal with it in a more constructive way today," Sununu said.
Bash then asked: "So you think the incoming president is wrong when he says take entitlements, Medicare and Social Security, which as you know take up the vast majority of the budget, that they should be on the table?
Entitlements are government programs that provide benefits to people based on their age, income or disability. Social Security and Medicare are entitlements.
"They should be on the table," the governor responded. "It doesn't mean they don't have to do it tomorrow."
Sununu suggested setting up a commission, guidelines and metrics to deal with the issue.
"Nobody even wants to touch this 'third rail,'" he said. "My argument is...the American people saying, 'Touch it, do it, fix this thing because we don't want our benefits cut, we don't want Medicare to disappear.'"
Sununu endorsed former South Carolina Governor and ex-United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley in the 2024 Republican primary. After Haley dropped out of the race, Sununu, who has criticized Trump in the past, said he'd support his presidential bid.
What People Are Saying
The Republican National Committee (RNC) said in a pamphlet for July's Republican National Convention that the GOP would "fight for and protect social security and Medicare with no cuts, including no changes to the retirement age."
Trump said in a CNBC interview in March, "So first of all, there is a lot you can do in terms of entitlements in terms of cutting and in terms of also the theft and the bad management of entitlements, tremendous bad management of entitlements."
Trump's campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told CNN in March that Trump was "clearly talking about cutting waste, not entitlements."
"President Trump delivered on his promise to protect Social Security and Medicare in his first term, and President Trump will continue to strongly protect Social Security and Medicare in his second term," she added.
What Happens Next
It's unlikely that Republicans will touch Social Security anytime soon. Last week, the Senate passed a bipartisan bill called the Social Security Fairness Act that removed limits on benefits for people who receive pensions from government and public service jobs.
Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky tried to pass an amendment to the bill that would've gradually raised the retirement age in order to receive benefits to 70, but it failed 93-3. The three senators who voted in favor of the amendment were Paul and Republican Senators Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming and Mike Lee of Utah.
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