Senate hopeful Hung Cao backed plan that puts Social Security, veterans’ benefits at risk

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Hung Cao endorsed a financial plan that could imperil Social Security and Medicare. Cao is challenging incumbent Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine.

In February 2022, Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott released his “Rescue America” plan. The purpose of the proposal was to establish policy priorities for Republicans going into the 2022 midterm elections. The plan put an emphasis on fiscal responsibility, especially cutting the federal budget.

A major provision of Scott’s plan called for all federal programs, including Social Security and Medicare, to be reauthorized by Congress every five years. In other words, Scott’s plan could empower a Republican majority to cut or eliminate social safety net programs.

Cao ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022. During that campaign, he endorsed the Rescue American plan and claimed Scott sought his input on the proposal.

“I wish I had more to do with it,” Cao said of the plan during a radio interview. “All Rick Scott did was he sent it to me and said, ‘Hey, Hung, I want to unveil this in a few weeks. Can you look it over and see if there’s anything wrong with it?’ I mean, it was perfect. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for something better.”

In addition to threatening Social Security and Medicare, Scott’s plan would also require all Americans to pay federal income taxes. This includes the approximately 32 million people who don’t file federal tax returns at all, many of them retirees or living in poverty.

According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, 34.5% of Virginians would see a tax hike under Scott’s plan. Nearly 46% of Virginia’s small businesses would see a tax increase as well.

Scott’s plan could also make life difficult for veterans. Prior to running for office, Cao served as a Special Operations Officer in the U.S. Navy. He lists protecting veterans as a top priority on his campaign website.

Under Scott’s plan, however, funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs would be subject to the same five year reauthorization timetable as all other federal programs. This would put veterans services like disability compensation, home loan assistance, and job training on the chopping block.

More than 700,000 Virginians are eligible for Department of Veterans Affairs benefits.

Scott’s plan failed to pass, but he has not given up pushing for it. If Cao were to join him in the Senate and support the measure, it could gain traction.

Cao provided the following statement in response to this reporting: “”I have never supported cuts to Social Security and I never will. My mom is on Social Security, and instead of making sure the program is solvent for her and future generations, we send our money to Ukraine or give it to illegal aliens instead. I will protect Social Security when I’m elected to the Senate.”

Undocumented immigrants are legally prohibited from collecting Social Security.