Bev Vincent 

Because Harris will protect Social Security and Medicare

I don’t often think of myself this way, but I am an immigrant to the United States. I moved here from Canada almost exactly thirty-five years ago for a job that I still hold. About the only thing that occasionally gives me away as not being “from around here” is my accent, which definitely does not sound Texan.

I came here originally as a nonresident alien and became a permanent resident in 1992 and then, finally, a US citizen in 2012. My main incentive for naturalizing was the fact that I wanted to vote for Barack Obama. Here was a presidential candidate with whom I was fully aligned, and I wanted to cast my vote to support him.

Flash forward a dozen years, and I once again see a candidate with whom I agree on virtually every issue and who I would be proud to have as my president. I would have voted for Joe Biden, but I am enthusiastic about voting for Kamala Harris.

If I were to pick a single issue to highlight, it would be protection for Social Security and Medicare. Even when I was a nonresident alien, I paid into these programs. Now, as I approach my mid-sixties, I am getting ready to benefit from them. I hear rumblings from Republican candidates that they would eviscerate or even eliminate them if given the chance. After all, their most influential donors don’t care about the meager contribution Social Security would make to their vast wealth, and they have the luxury of paying for whatever health care they want.

That’s not the case for most Americans. Social Security benefits will form a significant part of our post-retirement income. Health care is particularly important to people retiring from the jobs that provided coverage during their working careers. Worrying about medical coverage is something of an alien concept to someone who grew up in Canada, where people are unlikely to be bankrupted by a medical crisis, but I’ve lived here long enough to know the reality of the situation south of the forty-ninth parallel.

I believe Vice President Harris when she says her administration will protect Social Security and Medicare. I trust her because her track record in all the positions she’s held in the past demonstrates a genuine concern for her fellow Americans, regardless of their demographic. She has floated a plan to raise the Social Security tax on Americans who make over $400,000 a year, and why not? It makes perfect sense—although I can hear those people kicking and screaming about this plan. I believe future President Harris has what it takes to implement these changes despite opposition from powerful lobby groups.

I’m also encouraged by her success in capping prices and out-of-pocket expenses for prescription drugs covered under Medicare Part D. Soon, I will be able to benefit from that change and look forward to similar policies that address the well-being of the aging population.

Bev Vincent is the author of Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences, coeditor of Flight or Fright with King, and has published over 140 short stories and novellas.