Social Security and Medicare

Social Security payroll tax cap

58 public statements from 2026 candidates

§1The range of views

Why this matters: Taxing more earnings would bring in more money to pay benefits, and it would raise taxes for people who earn more than the cap and for their employers.

Drafted by AI, then checked for neutral wording in a separate AI review. It describes the question and the main positions, not any candidate's view. Facts link to their sources.

Social Security's payroll tax on wages applies only to earnings up to a yearly cap, which is $184,500 in 2026 and $192,300 in 2027.¹

Keep the current cap
Also tax earnings above a higher level, such as $250,000 or $400,000
Apply the tax to all earnings

These options describe policies, not people. The order is not a ranking.

§2What candidates have said

Why this matters: Statements candidates made publicly, summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Candidates who haven't spoken publicly on this issue aren't listed.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Also tax earnings above a higher level, such as $250,000 or $400,000 (5)

Ro Khanna CA-17
His campaign website says the Social Security payroll tax should also apply to incomes above $400,000 a year.²
Daniel Biss IL-9
His campaign website says he will champion a bill that would increase Social Security benefits by $200 a month, paid for by applying the Social Security tax to incomes over $250,000.³
Lauren Reinhold KS-1
Her campaign website says her Social Security plan would require people with incomes over $400,000 to pay the same 12.4 percent Social Security tax rate as everyone else, while exempting income between the current wage cap and $400,000 from additional payroll tax.⁴
Zack Mullock NJ-2
He lists raising the Social Security payroll tax cap for incomes above $400,000 as a way to strengthen the program.⁵
James Talarico TX Senate
His campaign website says he would remove the cap on Social Security taxes for people earning more than $400,000 a year.^6,7

Apply the tax to all earnings (21)

Amanda Marie Green FL-2
Her campaign website says she would shore up Social Security by removing the cap on earnings that pay into the program.⁸
Darren Soto FL-9
His campaign website says he supports the Social Security 2100 Act and similar bills that would scrap the cap on income subject to the payroll tax and fully fund Social Security to 2100 and beyond.⁹
Robert People FL-15
His Social Security plan says he supports and proposes eliminating the Social Security tax cap on income.¹⁰
Michael J. Quirk FL-17
His campaign website says the highest earners should pay Social Security taxes on every dollar they earn, as most workers already do.¹¹
Matt Day GA-2
His campaign website’s American Elder Bill, a proposed bill on Social Security and Medicare, would eliminate the annual wage cap on Social Security payroll tax contributions, with half of the new revenue going to the Social Security trust fund and half toward benefit increases for low-income seniors.¹²
Shawn Harris GA-14
His campaign website says he would scrap the Social Security payroll tax cap so that high earners keep paying into the system throughout the year.¹³
Dave Dawson IA-4
His campaign website says he supports lifting the Social Security payroll tax cap so the wealthiest Americans pay into the system at the same rate as everyone else.¹⁴
Emre Houser ID-2
His platform page says to remove the cap on wages subject to Social Security taxes, which is $184,500, to extend the viability of the Social Security fund.¹⁵
"Matt" Gromlich LA-4
His campaign website says he supports eliminating the payroll tax cap so that high-income earners contribute to Social Security on all of their wages, and that doing so would help secure benefits for current and future recipients.¹⁶
Gordon Heslop LA-4
His campaign website says Social Security must be fixed immediately and proposes removing the current limit on earnings subject to Social Security tax so that all income is taxed for Social Security, as all income is for Medicare.¹⁷
Moshe Y. Landman MD-6
His campaign website says it would secure Social Security by eliminating the payroll tax cap on high earners.¹⁸
Troy D. Jackson ME Senate
His campaign website says he would lift the cap on earnings subject to the Social Security tax so the wealthiest Americans pay in at the same rate as working people.¹⁹
Callie Barr MI-1
Her campaign website says she supports protecting Social Security and removing its cap.^20,21
LaVeta Davenport MI-1
The Green Party of Michigan 2026 platform text on her campaign website, which says she fully aligns with it, calls for ending the cap on the income taxed for Social Security, in order to fully fund the system.²²
Christina Bertrand Hines MI-10
Her Social Security topic page says she supports eliminating the Social Security funding cap and closing corporate loopholes.²³
Doug Chapin MN-6
It says he will push to do away with the cap on Social Security payroll taxes, which it says applies to income above $184,500.²⁴
Alani Bankhead MT Senate
Her campaign website says she would remove the cap on wages subject to the Social Security tax so the wealthiest pay in on all their income.²⁵
Sam Forstag MT-1
His campaign website says he would eliminate the Social Security payroll tax cap so that the highest-earning 6% pay Social Security payroll taxes like the other 94%, which it says would leave the program solvent for 75 years.²⁶
Mike Marvin NE Senate
His campaign website's platform page says he would eliminate the cap on income subject to the Social Security tax.²⁷
Ramon Mora Jr. NJ-2
The General Social Agenda page lists uncapping the Social Security limit.²⁸
Rachel Fetty Anderson WV Senate
Her campaign website says she would end the cap on Social Security taxes, which applies above $184,500 in earnings in 2026, with somewhat higher benefits for higher earners.²⁹

Statements that don't match one option (32)

Andrew Sneed AL-5
His campaign website says Congress must close Social Security's funding gap and lists raising or eliminating the cap on earnings subject to the payroll tax as one way to do it.³⁰
Hallie Shoffner AR Senate
Her campaign website says she would protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare and lift the cap on Social Security contributions for the very wealthy.³¹
Connie Chan CA-11
Her campaign website says she would lift the payroll tax cap so the wealthiest Americans pay more toward universal health care.³²
Angélica María Dueñas CA-29
Her campaign website supports lifting the cap on income subject to Social Security taxes so that high earners pay on more of their income.^33,34
Mike Levin CA-49
His campaign website says he cosponsored the Social Security 2100 Act, which it says would keep the system strong by making those at the very top pay their fair share of payroll taxes.^35,36
Seth Harp FL-3
His campaign website says he would raise the cap on earnings subject to the Social Security payroll tax to $250,000 to help secure benefits for future generations without cutting payments to retirees.³⁷
Mike Klein FL-3
His campaign website says he would raise the cap on Social Security contributions so the wealthy pay their fair share.³⁸
Kimberly Overman FL-12
Her campaign platform says people with very high incomes should contribute more fairly to Social Security to protect benefits for current and future generations.³⁹
Matthew Montavon FL-17
His campaign website says he favors raising the cap on taxable earnings and taxing all income, capital gains included.⁴⁰
Nicole Locklin FL-26
Her campaign website says she supports having wealthy Americans pay Social Security taxes on a larger portion of their income, as working families already do.⁴¹
Eliott Rodriguez FL-27
His campaign website says he would ask the wealthiest Americans to contribute more of their income so Social Security stays strong for future generations.⁴²
Maura Keller GA-3
Her campaign website says that to address Social Security’s funding shortfall, Congress needs to look at the payroll tax and income caps.⁴³
Michael Bridgford IA-1
His campaign website lists lifting the Social Security payroll tax cap among his proposals, and says he will work for compromise solutions that make gradual changes to push back the insolvency date.⁴⁴
Sarah Zabel ID-1
Her Social Security plan says she would raise the taxable maximum each year until it covers 90 percent of total earnings, while opposing an increase in the payroll tax rate.⁴⁵
Mike Bost IL-12
His campaign website says he opposes efforts to privatize Social Security and Medicare, raise the retirement age or increase the payroll tax.⁴⁶
Cynthia (Cinde) Wirth IN-6
Her campaign website says she will work to raise the cap on Social Security taxable earnings to $400,000 so that the wealthy pay their fair share and the system stays solvent.⁴⁷
Brad A. Meyer IN-9
His campaign website says he would increase the FICA tax cap to strengthen Social Security for the long term.⁴⁸
Mikel Wein KY-5
His campaign website lists the Social Security Expansion Act, which it says eliminates the wage cap and requires all income to pay into Social Security, and the You Earned It You Keep It Act, which it says removes the payroll cap, among the pending legislation on its Wealth page.⁴⁹
Lauren Jewett LA-1
Her campaign website says she will adjust the payroll tax cap so that higher earners pay into Social Security at the same rate as everyone else.⁵⁰
John Deaton MA Senate
His campaign website says higher earners should pay into Social Security on more of their income by closing or raising the cap on taxed wages.⁵¹
Jake Auchincloss MA-4
His campaign website says the fix for Social Security's shortfall should include the wealthiest paying more.⁵²
William Lawrence MI-7
His campaign website says he supports lifting the Social Security payroll tax cap, and lists protecting Social Security by taxing the wealthy among his priorities.^53,54
Peggy Flanagan MN Senate
Her campaign website says the wealthiest Americans should pay more into Social Security, by expanding the income cap and the sources of income subject to contributions.⁵⁵
Matt Little MN-2
His campaign website says the cap on earnings subject to Social Security tax should now be raised to shore up the trust fund.⁵⁶
Eric Pratt MN-2
His campaign website says he supports increasing the taxable income cap to help strengthen Social Security.⁵⁷
Erik Osberg MN-7
It also says he wants to scrap the Social Security payroll tax cap or raise it significantly so that high earners pay more.⁵⁸
Missi Hesketh MO-7
Her Affordability page says she would lift the cap on wages that count toward Social Security contributions and extend the tax to investment income for people earning above $400,000.⁵⁹
Seth Bodnar MT Senate
His campaign website says he would strengthen Social Security's long-term finances through fairer contributions from the highest earners.⁶⁰
Michael D Eisenhauer MT-2
His Voter Contract page says he will support lifting the salary cap to better fund Social Security.⁶¹
Richard N. Ojeda II NC-9
His campaign website's home page lists raising the income cap among his Social Security policies. Its Saving Social Security page says wealthy people should pay their fair share and tax loopholes should be closed to keep the program fully funded.^62,63
Dan Osborn NE Senate
His campaign website says the cap on income subject to the Social Security tax should be raised or eliminated so high earners pay the same rate as everyone else.⁶⁴
Mark Cohen NE-3
His campaign website says he supports lifting the Social Security payroll tax cap, by raising or eliminating it, so that high earners pay the same percentage on all their income as other workers, in order to fund Social Security without benefit cuts.⁶⁵