The 8th Congressional District race pits incumbent U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, a Moosic Democrat, against management/communications consultant and former Trump administration official Jim Bognet, a Hazle Twp. Republican, in the Nov. 3 election.
The district includes all of Lackawanna, Pike and Wayne counties and parts of Luzerne and Monroe counties. Representatives serve two-year terms and earn $174,000 a year. The Sunday Times asked Bognet and Cartwright their positions on various issues. Their positions on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, health care and COVID-19 appear today. Their positions on the economy and policing will appear in Monday’s edition.
Social Security
Facts: The main Social Security trust fund and a separate fund that pays disability benefits will hit zero by 2035, triggering a 21% benefit cut, according to the Social Security trustees’ 2020 report. Last year, about 64 million people received benefits.
The most-discussed solutions center on raising the payroll tax or the