New reporting from American Journal News lays out Dan Sullivan’s record of supporting cuts to Social Security, which provides critical support to hundreds of thousands of Alaskans and keeps nearly 30% of Alaskan seniors out of poverty.
“Dan Sullivan has repeatedly undermined Social Security and jeopardized the retirement benefits that Alaskans have paid into their entire lives,” said Alaska Democratic Party Chair Eric Croft. “Alaskans have earned these benefits over decades of hard work, but Sullivan has refused to have their backs, proposing raising the retirement age and repeatedly voting against legislation that would protect Social Security from cuts. Self-Serving Sullivan has put Alaska last every day in DC, and he will answer for his record at the ballot box in November.”
The reporting notes that Dan Sullivan cast the deciding vote for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and falsely claimed the law “doesn’t touch Social Security,” even though the bill creates a backdoor for privatizing Social Security and creates less revenue for the Social Security trust fund. Sullivan also suggested raising the retirement age and delaying Social Security benefits for future generations, saying that “a younger generation of Alaskans or Americans can accept” such a change.
Dan Sullivan has repeatedly voted against protecting (03/24/2015, 01/10/2017, 12/01/2017) Social Security and even voted to jeopardize the Social Security benefits Alaskans have earned.
American Journal News: These vulnerable Republicans have targeted Social Security
By: Jess Valentine
September 1, 2026
Nearly every Senate Republican facing a tough reelection fight this year has flirted with cutting Social Security, the federal program that keeps 58 million seniors out of poverty.
Polling suggests that cutting the program is deeply unpopular, which is why it is often referred to as “the third rail of electoral politics.” A recent AARP survey found that 82% of American adults view Social Security as “very important.” Half of those enrolled in the program say they would not survive financially if their benefits were cut.
The issue reemerged last year when Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the White House’s tax-deferred investment accounts for newborns, known as “Trump accounts,” were a “backdoor for privatizing Social Security.” The accounts were part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), which passed the House and Senate with only Republican votes.
Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan celebrated OBBB’s passage and falsely claimed that the law “doesn’t touch Social Security.” The law will cut $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next decade to fund tax breaks that primarily benefit wealthy people. Those tax breaks will create less revenue for the Social Security trust fund, speeding up the program’s insolvency.
In 2014, when he was first running for the Senate, Sullivan suggested raising the retirement age and delaying Social Security benefits for future generations. He said “a younger generation of Alaskans or Americans can accept” such a change.
Sullivan is seeking a third term this year. His Democratic opponent is former Rep. Mary Peltola.
Currently, Social Security is mostly funded through payroll taxes. Those funds are held by the U.S. Treasury and disbursed to beneficiaries. Any surplus funds are invested in special Treasury bonds that are drawn on when tax revenues fall short.
A balanced-budget amendment would essentially make it illegal for the federal government to spend more in a given year than it collects in revenue. If tax revenues are insufficient to fund Social Security, the government would be prohibited from drawing on the bonds to make up the shortfall. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says this would inevitably lead to a cut in services.
The AARP says such a plan would be “devastating for millions.”
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