Andrew Biggs of AEI, a former deputy Social Security commissioner, raises three problems with Mike Huckabee’s promise not to touch seniors’ Social Security.
I would note that the point about how the FairTax Huckabee supports would hit seniors hard, which Ramesh raised below, would not apply to all seniors, more like just those who’ve earned above-average lifetime incomes. The FairTax, since it’s a sales tax, would decrease the value of seniors’ Social Security benefits, but it also includes a “prebate” that wipes out its cost up to about $20,000 a year in spending, which cover much of many seniors’ Social Security benefits. They would still, though, be effectively taxed on benefits they spend over that amount, as well as their retirement benefits (private pensions, 401(k) withdrawals, etc.).