2012: Criticized Romney for wanting to raise defense spending by $2 trillion. [CNN, 10/12/12] Navy Secretary over cutbacks in the Reagan administration’s defense budget. [Los Angeles Times, 2/23/88] National debt 2010: Said the national debt was a national security threat and weakened the country. [Fox News, 9/8/10] 2013: Cited debt reduction as a goal of the administration. [White House, 2/2/13] Called Romney and Ryan hypocritical for focusing on debt reduction but being unwilling to raise taxes on millionaires. [Democratic National Convention, 9/6/12] Said the Bush tax cuts were the primary driver of the national debt. [Stateline, 2/28/12] Proposed taxing high bonuses in order to help pay down national debt. [Virginian-Pilot, 3/10/10] Said Social Security had not contributed a dime to the national debt. [@SenSanders, Twitter, 7/3/13] Said that we cannot continue tax breaks for billionaires with such a high national debt. [@SenSanders, Twitter, 7/25/12] 2006: Said it was “extremely important” to make debt reduction a priority. [Lincoln Chafee, New York Times, 11/12/06] SENIORS 2016 Dem Position Hillary Clinton Senator: 2001-2009 Joe Biden Senator: 1973-2009 VP: 2009- Martin O’Malley Governor: 2007-2015 Jim Webb Senator: 2007-2013 Elizabeth Warren Senator: 2013- Bernie Sanders Rep.: 1991-2007 Senator: 2007- Lincoln Chafee Senator: 1999-2007 Governor: 2011-2015 Social Security 2007: Opposed cutting benefits. [The Hill, 8/24/14] 2007: Opposed privatization. [The Hill, 8/24/14] 2007: Opposed raising retirement age. [The Hill, 8/24/14] 2007: Would consider committing more of workers’ income. [The Hill, 8/24/14] 2012: Promised no change to Social Security. [NBC News, 8/14/12] 2007: Supported committing more of worker’s income. [MSNBC, 9/26/0T] 2007: Opposed raising retirement age. [MSNBC, 9/26/07] Supports expanding Social Security benefits. [Salon, 3/13/15] Opposed Social Security cuts. [Washington Post, 8/19/14] Did not sign letter opposing Social Security cuts as part of deficit grand bargain. [The Hill, 9/20/12] Supports expanding Social Security benefits. [Politico, 11/18/13] Opposed Social Security cuts as part of deficit grand bargain. [The Hill, 9/20/12] 2011: Signaled that he supported President Obama’s compromise to raise the retirement age. [Providence Journal, 8/12/11] 2005: Supported Bush plan to cut Social Security for “all but low-income workers.” [Associated Press, 5/6/05] 2005: Appeared to support raising taxable income cap on Social Security. [Providence Business News, 4/1/05] Medicare cuts/expansion 2007: Supported expanding Medicare as part of her proposed health plan. [Associated Supported the ACA as Vice President, which slowed Medicare spending while closing the Opposed Republican efforts to voucherize Medicare. [MSNBC, 10/12/12] Initially opposed the ACA out of feat it would cut Medicare. [Nightly News, NBC, 12/18/09] Supports expanding Medicare to all Americans (i.e., he wants a single-payer Medicare-like Criticized Republicans under Bush for “expanding the cost of Medicare…and