Joe Teirab is trying to rewrite history after telling Minnesota voters that he supports privatizing Social Security and raising the retirement age.
While Teirab is trying to hide his extreme plans to dismantle Social Security, the critical program “has been a key focus” for Rep. Angie Craig, who has championedlegislation that would completely eliminate federal taxes on seniors’ hard-earned benefits.
DCCC Spokesperson Mallory Payne:
“Take it from Joe Teirab himself: he wants to cut Social Security and deny Minnesotans their hard-earned benefits. Voters know Angie Craig will continue fighting to protect Social Security, and that’s why they will re-elect her this November.”
Joe Teirab, the Republican running against Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), is distancing himself from comments he made in February on privatizing Social Security and raising the retirement age.
Craig represents a swing district in Minnesota and has been a longtime target of the House GOP. But Teirab’s newly unearthed comments — on a key plank for seniors that Democrats have long used to attack GOP candidates — could pose issues in the race.
During a conversation with a voter at a local Minnesota “Pints and Politics” event, Teirab said for someone like him in their late 30s, the “retirement age should maybe change for me or I should get more of an option to have it privatized.”
Teirab also said, “Under a certain age, you have to change what the retirement age is going to be.”
In an interview this week, Teirab characterized his comments as “rambling.”
Social Security has been a key focus of Craig’s congressional career. In January, Craig introduced legislation that would cut out federal taxes on Social Security benefits for seniors.
“I think seniors are going to be very upset at anybody that wants to privatize Social Security or raise the retirement age,” Craig told us.
