Newly re-elected Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA) likely will chair the House Ways & Means Committee
Seniors and their families can join Americans of all ages in celebrating Tuesday’s Blue Tsunami. It was a Silver tsunami, too – in the sense that the Democrats’ winning control of both house of Congress presents a historic opportunity to strengthen Social Security and make older Americans’ health care more affordable. Or… given that Trump still has veto power, Democrats can at least lay the groundwork for progress in 2028 and beyond.
Our PAC endorsed more than 50 congressional candidates who won big on Tuesday, including in marquee races that helped flip control of the Senate: Josh Turek (IA), Roy Cooper (NC), Sherrod Brown (OH), James Talarico (TX), and Abdul El-Sayed (MI). (For a complete, state by state list of candidates we endorsed, visit www.ncpssm.org/pac.)
“So many champions of Social Security and Medicare were elected or re-elected last night, and we could not be more gratified,” says NCPSSM President and PAC board member, Max Richtman, who crisscrossed the country this fall to endorse candidates. “We said that Social Security is on the ballot. To win our endorsement, candidates pledged to support strengthening Social Security by making the wealthy pay their fair share, without privatization or benefit cuts… and to protect Medicare.”
Sen. Jon Ossoff, endorsed by NCPSSM’s PAC, won a decisive re-election victory in Georgia
Among our endorsed candidates was Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff, who set a high bar for the new Democratic congress in his re-election victory speech last night:
“Now our task is to reawaken that great national spirit that defeated fascism and established Social Security, that put men on the moon and passed civil rights laws.” – Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), NCPSSM PAC-Endorsed
It is no accident that Ossoff mentioned Social Security not only as a reference to the party’s New Deal heritage, but also as a critical focus for the newly elected class of Senators. (Senators elected Tuesday must confront the projected shortfall in the Social Security trust fund in 2032 — with an automatic 22% benefit cut – unless Congress takes action.)
Social Security, along with Medicare, Medicaid, and prescription drug pricing fit squarely into the ‘Affordability’ narrative of the 2026 midterms.
“Affordability was the key issue in this election and voters were looking for candidates committed to helping solidify Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid,” says Jim Crounse, a political consultant and NCPSSM’s Board Chair. “Our endorsed candidates stood tall and committed to protecting and improving these crucial benefits.”
Congresswoman-elect and NCPSSM PAC endorsee Paige Cognetti (D-PA-08) described Social Security as a fundamental promise to American workers
Jim Roosevelt, grandson of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and vice-chair of our advisory board, says, “The election results hold great promise for restoring our federal government going forward — and for addressing the real need to strengthen Social Security.”
Rep. Richie Neal (D-MA), presumptive chair of the powerful House Ways and Means and Committee in the new Congress, said Tuesday night: “I want to give you a bedrock guarantee: We’re going to make sure Social Security is there for all of you.” Our senior legislative representative, Maria Freese, predicts that Democrats will re-introduce legislation from the current Congress to strengthen Social Security, without benefit cuts.
Jim Crounse says that “Social Security could be a key focal point for cooperation between Congress and the President.” Of course, the President is sending typically mixed signals. On Tuesday, Trump posted a meme of a red hat with the word “VETO” emblazoned across the front. But he also told NBC News that he would “work with Democrats.”
We and other seniors’ advocacy groups believe that Democrats can also make progress on reducing Americans’ health care costs – especially prescription drug pricing — which have soared under the Trump administration.
Maria Freese expects that the Democrats will conduct investigations into some of Trump’s questionable prescription drug pricing ‘deals‘ with Big Pharma – and ramp up oversight into whether the administration is adhering to the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which authorized Medicare to negotiate prices with drugmakers.
“We are clear-eyed about the scale of the challenges we face, whether expanding access to health care, saving Social Security, or holding this administration accountable.” – Senator-elect Chris Pappas (D-NH), NCPSSM PAC-Endorsed
Health care advocates, including NCPSSM, want to see Congress undo the nearly1 $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts (to fund tax breaks for the rich) in the Trump/GOP Big, Ugly Bill. Most of those cuts take effect on January 1, 2027 – a Republican ploy to push the painful consequences of the bill beyond the midterms.
Thankfully, voters punished Trump and the Republicans for their reckless actions to further enrich the wealthy at the expense of everyday people. But— it could be too late for now to stop the Medicaid cut juggernaut, which is expected to strip millions of health coverage over the coming years.
Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed (endorsed by NCPSSM PAC) warned that Trump’s Medicaid cuts would unleash a “nuclear bomb” on America’s healthcare system!\
“Probably the best that we can hope,” says Freese, “is that Democrats can lay the groundwork to restore the nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid funding, which may have to wait until (and if) Democrats win the White House and hold the House and Senate in 2028. In the meantime, she says, the new Congress can pass ‘messaging’ bills to undo Trump/Republican cuts that can be used in the 2028 campaign.
Jim Roosevelt sees an opportunity to restore the federal government’s commitment to ensuring basic financial and health security for seniors, a legacy of his grandfather’s New Deal and President Johnson’s Great Society. “MAGA and DOGE have tried to tear down the New Deal and the Great Society,” he says, “Voters have now set up a barrier wall against those attempts.”
When asked what FDR would think of Tuesday’s Blue Tsunami, Roosevelt said, “I’m sure he’s up there with a big smile on his face.”