RACINE, WI – The Alliance for Retired Americans, representing more than 4.4 million retirees, older Americans, and community activists nationwide, has endorsed ER nurse Mitchell Berman in his campaign to represent Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District. The Wisconsin Alliance, a grassroots organization with more than 13,500 members in the district, announced the endorsement Monday, adding to the growing coalition backing Berman in his race against incumbent Republican Bryan Steil.
In its endorsement letter, the Alliance cited Berman’s commitment to strengthening and expanding Medicare and Social Security, protecting both programs from cuts and privatization, and fighting for lower drug prices, pension security, and quality long-term care.
“I’m honored to have the endorsement of the Alliance for Retired Americans. For decades, working people paid into Social Security and Medicare with every paycheck, and after a lifetime of hard work, seniors deserve to retire with dignity,” said Mitchell Berman. “In Congress, I’ll block cuts to Social Security, defend workers’ pensions, and lower prescription drug costs, so that retirees across southeast Wisconsin get the benefits they earned.”
“The Alliance for Retired Americans is proud to endorse Mitchell Berman for Congress,” said Ross Winklbauer, President of the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans. “He understands the importance of a secure retirement and will work to ensure retirees receive the full benefits they earned after a lifetime of hard work. Mitchell will also work to strengthen Medicare and ensure the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share into Social Security so current and future generations receive the benefits they have earned.”
The stakes for retirees in Southeast Wisconsin could not be higher. Unless Congress acts, Social Security beneficiaries face an automatic 22% benefit cut in 2032, about $500 for the average beneficiary. Steil wants to raise the retirement age, has not sponsored any bills that would prevent benefit cuts, and voted to weaken Social Security’s trust fund and slash benefits, earning him a 0% pro-retiree score in the Alliance’s latest annual Congressional Voting Record.
Berman has a plan to do the opposite. In Congress, he will work to lift the cap so high earners pay into Social Security on all of their income, take on the middlemen who drive prescription drug prices up, and raise the number of drugs Medicare can negotiate each year. He will also fight to pass the Major Richard Star Act, without strings attached, so veterans forced into early retirement by combat injuries get the full retirement pay and disability they earned. Read more here.
“Social Security is essential for seniors and for the entire community. It not only helps seniors pay for food, medicine, and utilities, but it’s also one of Wisconsin’s largest economic engines,” said Winklbauer. “More than 171,000 Americans in the 1st Congressional District rely on Social Security retirement, survivor, or disability benefits today, which bring more than $345 million into the district every month. The decisions made by the next Congress will determine whether these earned benefits are protected, and we urge voters to send Mitchell Berman to Congress to fight for them.”
The Alliance endorsement comes as WI-01 has emerged as one of the tightest House races in the country. All three public polls of the general election show the race within a single point. With three weeks until Election Day, the polling makes clear this race is a toss-up, and families in Southeast Wisconsin are lining up behind Mitchell Berman.
