ICYMI: WMUR, Union Leader Highlight Pappas, Shaheen’s Warning on Sununu’s Social Security Record

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Congressman Chris Pappas and Senator Jeanne Shaheen are sounding the alarm on John Sununu’s record of trying to privatize Social Security and his refusal to tell Granite Staters his plans for the program if elected to the U.S. Senate. As WMUR and the Union Leader reported, Pappas and Shaheen warned that Sununu’s continued support for private investment accounts threatens the hard-earned benefits of New Hampshire seniors and future retirees.

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WMUR: Pappas, Shaheen criticize Sununu over Social Security; Sununu responds in statement

By Adam Sexton, 10/27/26

  • Democrat Chris Pappas was joined by incumbent Sen. Jeanne Shaheen on the campaign trail on Tuesday.
  • Pappas and Shaheen held a press conference to highlight their joint fight against privatizing Social Security and to criticize the Republican nominee, John E. Sununu, over the issue.
  • During Sununu’s prior tenure in the Senate, he authored legislation to create personal investment accounts within the system. Additionally, in a recent debate held in Conway, Sununu said that he will not put forth a plan for Social Security in this election campaign.
  • “The idea that he’s got a plan for Social Security and he won’t tell the New Hampshire public what that plan is, is the height of arrogance – that he’s not willing to tell voters what he wants to do,” Shaheen said.
  • […]

Union Leader: Pappas warns Sununu will bring back Social Security privatization plan

By Kevin Landrigan, 10/27/26

  • Democratic Senate candidate Chris Pappas and retiring U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen warned voters that Republican rival John E. Sununu, if elected, will revive his voluntary plan to privatize Social Security for younger workers.
  • During a recent debate, Sununu said he would not discuss details about his preferred way to reform Social Security because Pappas would unfairly attack him on it.
  • “The voters of New Hampshire deserve to know where we stand on this critical issue,” Pappas said during a news conference at the New Hampshire Democratic Party field office in Manchester on Tuesday.
  • The trustees of the Social Security system have warned that unless it is made more financially solvent, benefit cuts to retirees could be necessary as early as 2032.
  • Pappas said he would support creating a bipartisan commission to come up with proposals, but said his favorite option is to raise the current cap that only applies the Social Security tax on the first $184,500 of income.
  • “I think we need to start with people earning more than $1 million a year who are not paying into the system the way working people are,” Pappas said.
  • While in the Senate during 2005, Sununu proposed — with former House Speaker Paul Ryan — a voluntary option for workers to place a significant amount of their Social Security taxes into a private retirement account.
  • While then-President George W. Bush endorsed the concept, the legislation failed to pass.
  • Shaheen recalled this was a major issue when in 2008 she defeated Sununu in a rematch of their 2002 campaign that Sununu had won.
  • “The idea that he has a plan for Social Security and he won’t tell the New Hampshire public, that is the height of arrogance,” Shaheen said.
  • “His record is very clear and he can’t run away with it.”
  • […]
  • Shaheen said during the presidency of Republican Ronald Reagan, a similar commission came up with the last “fix” for Social Security the Congress passed in the 1980s that included phasing in a raise of the retirement age.
  • “Make no mistake. If they get their chance, if John Sununu gets elected, he and (President) Donald Trump have every intention of privatizing Social Security in a way that threatens the retirements of hundreds of thousands in New Hampshire,” Shaheen said.
  • During an appearance on the Close Up program on WMUR when asked about creating privately-controlled investment accounts for younger workers, Sununu said, “I’ll tell you a couple of things: I was willing to do it before. I’m willing to do it again.”
  • Sununu has pushed back that his proposal wasn’t privatization because it maintained a guaranteed government benefit funded by Social Security taxes.
  • Todd Fahey, former state director of AARP, said without a fix, a 22% benefit cut would kick in that would reduce the average Social Security benefit from $2,300 a month down to $1,800.
  • This would cut the $9 billion in total annual payments to New Hampshire retirees by $2 billion, an amount equal to the economic impact of the fall foliage season, Fahey said.
  • “That’s a big problem for the people of New Hampshire,” Fahey said.
  • Brian Ryll, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire, praised Pappas and Shaheen for supporting the Social Security Fairness Act.
  • Starting in January 2025, it did away with long-standing laws that reduced retirement benefits for first responders and teachers because they were also getting a pension from a job in which they didn’t pay Social Security taxes.
  • “Most importantly, this was about fairness,” Ryll said. “Firefighters were never asking for special treatment.”

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