John Sununu’s Long History of Attacking Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid

MANCHESTER, N.H. — John Sununu has a long history of attacking Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. John Sununu led efforts to privatize Social Security when he was last in the Senate and has defended those efforts. Sununu has a record of voting for Medicare cuts and hasn’t even tried to hide the fact that he supports Trump’s Big Ugly Bill that raised costs and cut Medicaid. 

The contrast couldn’t be clearer, as Chris Pappas has a record of standing up for older Americans and protecting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Unlike John Sununu, he’s been unambiguous that he will never cut Social Security benefits and is working to reverse Trump’s health care cuts.

Get the facts about John Sununu’s history of putting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid at risk: 

John Sununu led efforts to privatize Social Security.

• When he was last in the U.S. Senate, Chris Pappas’s Trump-endorsed opponent John Sununu repeatedly introduced legislation to privatize Social Security that would have exposed Granite Staters’ retirement savings to stock market crashes and increased profits for Wall Street firms. 

• As a “leading figure in the effort” to privatize Social Security, Sununu co-sponsored legislation that had been projected to accelerate the timeline of Social Security’s insolvency.

• Sununu supports Donald Trump’s Big Ugly Bill that has sped up Social Security’s insolvency timeline, threatening the benefits that hundreds of thousands of Granite Staters rely on.
  • Trump’s own Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, characterized a provision in the bill as a “backdoor for privatizing Social Security.” 

• John Sununu touted his plan to privatize Social Security while refusing to answer whether he still supports privatizing Social Security.
  • WATCH: Sununu says “I was willing to do it before. I’m willing to do it again” on Social Security push. [WMUR, 8/30/26]

• More recently at a debate, Sununu decided to just hide his position because he knows how unpopular it is.
  • WATCH: “I’m Not Going to Lay Out Specific Changes [to Social Security] That I Support.” [Debate Video, 10/13/26]

John Sununu voted to cut Medicare, celebrated Trump’s Medicare and Medicaid cuts. 

• Before voters kicked him out of office, John Sununu voted to cut Medicare and also voted against allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for seniors [Granite Post, 5/13/26].

• This year, Sununu pledged his support for Trump’s Big Ugly Bill, celebrating the fact that it cut Medicaid and forced cuts to Medicare.
  • WATCH: Sununu pledged his support this year about how “we also pared back Medicare and Medicaid spending in the Big Bill that passed.” [VIDEO, 3/4/26]
  • READ: “Trump and GOP’s Tax Bill Would Force Cuts to Medicare, CBO Says.” [Washington Post, 5/21/25]

• As a result of Trump’s Big Ugly Bill that John Sununu supports:
  • More than 17,000 Granite Staters lost health care coverage through Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or the Affordable Care Act (ACA) with further loss of coverage expected in coming years. 
  • Seven New Hampshire health care providers have closed, are closing, have announced cuts, or report being at risk of closure.
  • On average, premiums nearly doubled for Granite Staters receiving ACA tax credits.
  • Over 8,000 families in New Hampshire are expected to lose all or some of their food assistance benefits with over 2,000 Granite Staters already losing SNAP. All while grocery prices continue to rise and John Sununu continues to profit.

Chris Pappas will protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

• Chris Pappas will always stand up for Granite Staters and protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid — and he doesn’t mince words about it:
  • Pappas on Social Security: “Cuts to Social Security are unacceptable to me. I will oppose any cuts in benefits because people have paid into this system.”
  • Conway Daily Sun: Pappas meets with health-care advocates.

• Chris Pappas is pushing to reverse the Trump Administration’s health care cuts, strengthen the Affordable Care Act by making tax credits permanent, expand access to telehealth, cut red tape for small businesses and families seeking coverage, and ensure veterans receive the care they’ve earned.

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