Republicans twist Sherrod Brown’s Social Security record in coordinated smear

Ohio voters have been bombarded with ads, websites, and social media posts falsely claiming that Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown voted to cut Social Security. These claims are misleading and distort Brown’s actual record.

Brown is currently seeking a fourth term in the U.S. Senate. His Republican opponent is car salesman Bernie Moreno.

Moreno’s campaign website features a page titled “Key Messaging Against Sherrod Brown.” It claims Brown voted to give Social Security benefits to undocumented migrants and that he backed proposals to raise the retirement age and cut cost-of-living adjustments for retirees.

These same claims have been pushed by top Republican groups. A television ad from One Nation, a political action committee affiliated with Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), said Brown voted to “give illegals Social Security benefits.” A memo from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) accused Brown of backing Bowles–Simpson, a 2010 commission that proposed raising the retirement age and cutting Social Security in service of lowering the deficit.

At a 2012 debate, Brown was specifically asked about Bowles–Simpson and if he would support 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 took action to support this claim. In 2010, when Bowles–Simpson was preparing to release its proposals, Brown introduced a resolution opposing Social Security cuts. In 2012, he signed onto a letter specifically opposing the cuts recommended by the commission.

The claim about undocumented migrants is based on a 2013 vote where Brown opposed a Republican resolution to block noncitizens from receiving federal health care benefits. Since noncitizens were already ineligible for these benefits, the resolution was mostly symbolic. Voting against it didn’t mean Brown supported providing federal benefits to noncitizens.

In 2022, Brown introduced a resolution affirming 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 said. “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 from September showed Brown leading Moreno by two percentage points.

The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare has endorsed Brown’s campaign.