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Has Ron Johnson compared Social Security to candy?

By Erin Gretzinger
YES

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said in a 2013 speech that he likes to use an analogy that compares Social Security to "candy" that the "left is giving away."

Johnson said conservatives point out the problems with Social Security's solvency while Democrats maintain the entitlement program — funded primarily by payroll taxes paid by workers and employers — is doing OK. Johnson likened Social Security to a dental cavity that "caused an infection that's in the body, and if we don't cure it, you're gonna die." 

On the 2022 campaign trail, Johnson has said he wants to "save" Social Security by making its funding discretionary, meaning Congress would annually approve it. "Social Security and Medicare both face long-term financial shortfalls under currently scheduled benefits and financing," the Social Security Adminstration said in 2022. But some critics say requiring annual approval by Congress would jeopardize benefits. 

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