AARP Eye Center
Texans heading to the polls on Nov. 5 will choose between incumbent U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R) and challenger U.S. Rep. Colin Allred (D), who represents parts of the Dallas area.
Cruz, a former Texas solicitor general, is seeking a third Senate term. Allred, a former NFL linebacker turned civil rights attorney, has represented Texas’ 32nd congressional district since 2019.
AARP asked both candidates about issues important to older Americans. Allred answered questions during a phone interview; Cruz submitted answers in writing. Their responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
AARP studies show 48 million family caregivers provide at least $600 billion in unpaid care a year, many helping their older loved ones continue to live independently. How would you support family caregivers, many of whom are juggling work and family?
ALLRED: We need to put money back in the pockets of caregivers.... That’s why I’ve cosponsored the Credit for Caring Act.... [It would] create a tax credit of up to $5,000 to help cover the cost of long-term care and to try and help offset some of those additional costs that caregivers take on.
CRUZ: The surest way to support family caregivers is to ensure our economy benefits them, so they have more money in their pockets to care for their loved ones. I’ve fought against the inflationary policies of the Biden-Harris administration and for the middle-class tax cuts of the Trump era. I am fighting to make those middle-class tax cuts permanent.
Social Security is expected to see a shortfall in approximately 10 years. If Congress doesn’t act, millions of Americans who are counting on Social Security may see cuts to the money they’ve earned. How would you protect Social Security for the future?
CRUZ: I’ve spent my whole career in the Senate fighting for seniors’ Social Security and long-term benefits.... I introduced the Full Faith and Credit Act to responsibly ensure our government never fails to send Social Security benefits to seniors. I authored the Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act, which would ensure the men and women who devoted their lives to public service are not unfairly penalized when they retire, and instead receive the full Social Security benefits they worked for and deserve.
ALLRED: I want to make sure that we have this [earned benefit] protected for future generations.... We can address it by growing the overall pie, and this is something I’ve always been focused on, which is getting more workers into the system ... being able to then pay into the Social Security trust fund.
Millions of American workers have no way to save for retirement through their employers. What steps would you take to help workers save for their retirement?
ALLRED: I’m a big believer in pensions, and I want to try and make sure that’s something that folks have access to as much as possible. And when [you] do have 401(k) programs and things like that, that we try and make sure ... you have the ability to pay into programs so that you can start building a nest egg.
CRUZ: I have long called for the government to allow younger workers to keep part of their tax payments in a personal account that they own and control and can pass on to their kids and grandkids. This would empower individuals, instead of bureaucrats in Washington.
Americans pay some of the highest prescription drug prices in the world. How will you lower prescription prices for all Americans?
CRUZ: I have two bills, the BEAT CHINA Act and the Protecting our Pharmaceutical Supply Chain from China Act, which would seek to return prescription drug production to the United States.... I have long supported the bipartisan idea of reimporting drugs from Canada and other countries, so seniors can access low-cost medicines. My RESULT Act would increase access for all Americans to lifesaving drugs and devices that are already approved in other trusted countries.
ALLRED: It’s so important that we capped the cost of insulin for folks on Medicare at $35 a month [through the Inflation Reduction Act].... I want to make sure that we’re able to do that [for everyone].... [We have to] ensure that Texans have access to the drugs that they need to survive. That begins with being willing to take on Big Pharma, but doing it in a way that makes sure we still have these [medical] breakthroughs.
Older workers often face age discrimination in getting or keeping jobs. How would you combat age discrimination and help older workers who need or want to continue working?
ALLRED: It’s important that folks who want to be able to [continue working] are able to. And so when it comes to discrimination of any kind, I think we have to make sure that the laws that we have in place are certainly enforced, and that includes discrimination against folks on the basis of their age.
CRUZ: One thing I’ve led the fight on as ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee is raising the retirement age of commercial pilots from 65 to 67 years old. It’s ageist to think that when a pilot goes from 64 and 364 days to 65 that they’re no longer competent enough to fly a plane. Countless pilots, aviation stakeholders and former pilot union officials have asked Congress to raise the retirement age, and I agree with them and fought to do so.
What will you do to improve the lives of older Americans and their families?
CRUZ: One of the biggest challenges facing older Americans is inflation. Many older Americans live on fixed incomes. Every inflationary increase acutely hurts them. I have been proud to fight against inflation-driving policies from the Biden-Harris administration. I have worked hard to help Texas and America be energy independent, which drives down prices at the gas pump. I am also proudly fighting for a secure border and to stop the inflow of illegal aliens committing crime in our communities.
ALLRED: It’s really important that folks who work their entire lives are able to retire with dignity and to have some flexibility in retirement and to have access to the health care that they need.... We have to have kind of a holistic approach to this, in which we protect the federal programs that we know do work like Medicare and Social Security. That we make the benefits even better in Social Security, particularly for retired teachers in Texas who fall under the Windfall Elimination Provision, where they are not allowed to collect their full Social Security.
—Interviews by Carina Storrs
Find more information on the candidates at colinallred.com and tedcruz.org.
As a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, AARP does not endorse candidates or make political donations.
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