Steven Snow: Sununu has leadership skills, intelligence and experience

To The Daily Sun,

In its 2026 annual report, Social Security reported that it is underfunded. The summary’s first bullet point reads: "The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund will be able to pay 100 percent of total scheduled benefits until the fourth quarter of 2032, one quarter earlier than projected last year. At that time, the fund’s reserves will become depleted and continuing program income will be sufficient to pay 78 percent of total scheduled benefits."

Even worse, in 2100 only 62% of scheduled benefits can be paid. Furthermore, Table VI.F1 in the full report shows the infinite horizon unfunded liability is $71.9 trillion in present value, almost twice the national debt. What can be done? From page 217 of the full report: "To illustrate the magnitude of the projected infinite horizon shortfall, consider that it could be eliminated with additional revenue equivalent to an immediate increase in the combined payroll tax rate from 12.4 percent to about 18.1 percent, or with cost reductions equivalent to an immediate and permanent reduction in benefits for all current and future beneficiaries by about 31.4 percent."

The trust fund depletion will occur near the end of the next Senator’s six-year term. Consequently, we need to consider this when we vote Tuesday. We have a choice between former Sen. John E. Sununu, who is familiar with the problem, and four-term Rep. Chris Pappas, who, like Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, has not submitted a proposal for fixing the funding shortfall to the Chief Actuary’s office.

Chris Pappas is a back-bencher, an empty suit. He is ill-suited to this extremely important task. Please vote for John E. Sununu, who has the leadership skills, the intelligence, and the experience to tackle this difficult problem, even if it winds up not resembling his 2005 proposal.

Steven Snow

Gilford