GOP senator: ‘Vast majority’ want ‘a different direction’ than Rick Scott on Social Security

Most Republicans don't agree with Sen. Rick Scott's plan to sunset programs including Medicare and Social Security, Sen. Mike Rounds said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union," even as he left the door open to other changes.

"The vast majority of us would say that we prefer to look at it in a different direction, one of managing it, as opposed to a discussion about having everything start over again," Rounds said.

At the same time, the South Dakota Republican said he thinks of those vast programs similarly to defense spending, which Congress needs to pass every year.

"We're never going to not fund defense. But at the same time we — every single year, we look at how we make it better," Rounds said. "And I think it's about time we start talking about Social Security and making it better."

In his State of the Union speech last week, President Joe Biden highlighted Scott's (R-Fla.) "Rescue America" agenda released during the 2022 campaign, which would sunset all federal programs including Social Security and Medicare. Those programs don't currently require ongoing congressional approval, so the plan puts benefits in jeopardy, Biden asserted.

Some Republicans — a handful of whom heckled the president for the statement in his address Tuesday — have characterized the threat as dishonest. The plan's text online states: "All federal legislation sunsets in 5 years. If a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again."

"We should be saying, let's plan now, so that Social Security has a long run ahead of it, more than 75 years. And why don't we start talking about the long-term plans, instead of trying to scare one another?" Rounds said Sunday.

He said he did see ways to make Social Security and Medicare better.

Possible reforms to Social Security could include "moving up by a couple of months" the time when full benefits start, or changing the amount of income subject to Social Security-related taxes, Rounds said.

"Simply looking away from it and pretending like there's no problems with Social Security is not an appropriate or responsible thing to do," Rounds said. He added: "Republicans want to see Social Security be successful and be improved."