Rick Santorum says "abortion culture" to blame for Social Security troubles

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: Republicans ,; Campaign 2012

(Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Potential 2012 Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum said on a radio show Tuesday that the "abortion culture" in the United States is in part to blame for projected shortcomings in Social Security.

"The Social Security system, in my opinion, is a flawed design, period. But having said that, the design would work a lot better if we had stable demographic trends," Santorum said on WEZS Radio in New Hampshire. "We don't have enough workers to support the retirees. Well, a third of all the young people in America are not in America today because of abortion."

Twenty-two percent of all pregnancies (excluding miscarriages) end in abortion, according to the sexual and reproductive health research organization the Guttmacher Institute.

The former Pennsylvania senator is known for his socially conservative views, which could resonate with conservative voters in early presidential nominating states like Iowa. Earlier this month, he said he was "appalled'' that John F. Kennedy supported the separation of church and state when he was a presidential candidate in 1960.

Santorum on Tuesday commented on the perceived link between abortion and Social Security in response to remarks from a caller. America, Santorum said, is headed in the wrong direction because of "a policy that does not support families, does not encourage families to have children and to support them when they do have children."

"The second aspect, which is even more important, is the abortion culture in this country," he continued. "These demographic trends are causing Social Security and Medicare to be underfunded."

This year alone, Social Security is projected to collect $45 billion less in payroll taxes than it pays out in retirement, disability and survivor benefits, according to the Congressional Budget Office. By 2037, the program is projected to run out of its $2.5 trillion surplus. At that point, Social Security would collect enough in payroll taxes to pay out about 78 percent of benefits, according to the Social Security Administration.

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by jeffksr April 8, 2011 3:11 PM EDT: Ricky, Ricky, Ricky. If the outrageous calculation of 1/3 of all Americans....I guess that would add 100 million more people without jobs, 20% on SS disability etc so that drag on funding would make things better how?

A brainwashed boob when elected before and I guess you haven't spent any time embellishing your understanding of reality.; Reply to this comment


by boatdocster April 8, 2011 1:03 PM EDT: Rick Santorum was clueless when he was a member of The House.

I see he is still clueless.; Reply to this comment

by noloyalisti April 1, 2011 12:30 PM EDT

What Sanitarium is Santorum going in to? This pea brained moron Corporate Slave cannot figure out that all those unwanted children would have been supported by the state somehow. If bozo brain could get pregnant he would be for freedom.

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by freechoice4all April 8, 2011 1:13 PM EDT: exactly, food stamps, federal & state assistance, WIC, etc, etc. a third more people unemployed and sucking away tax payer money!

The radical right is no different than the taliban, they both want to FORCE the citizens of their respective countrys live to according to "their" religious views. You have a right to your beliefs and viws BUT keep them out of my life for they are not my beliefs or views.

A free America mean the freedom from you forcing your laws onto ALL American because of your religious views or beliefs.

We live in a democratic society but sometimes the minority needs to be protected from the majority (forcing their beliefs and views on everybody).


by _Liann_ March 31, 2011 1:18 AM EDT: Not enough young workers? Put a WELCOME sign on the borders.

Repigs need to stop sticking their noses in women's underpants. What's going on in women's underpants in NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! Get big govt, intrusive govt, out of women's underwear. Get Uncle Sam out of women's panties! GET OUT! Know your limits. Limited govt. GET OUT!; Reply to this comment


by Delphinus1 March 30, 2011 6:37 PM EDT: It's easy for him to say that about abortion, for which there are at least some actual figures. I can only wonder if he's considered simple contraception, since it's impossible to know how many unconcieved individuals there potentially could have been (and also assuming people would have behaved exactly the same, in the absence of either abortion or contraception)...

Oh, and by the way, how certain can we be that there would have been *jobs* to contribute to Social Security, for every abortion that wasn't? Is there full employment, even as things are? Fix that, then maybe get back to me. Social Security was built on the assumption that many people would not live to collect, and/or would not live very long after beginning to collect. Neither are as true as they once were, and will only become less true in the future.

And I'm not even sure what 'abortion culture' even means...

HiTech53: If you thought people would keep cranking out babies at the same rate that they did during the post-WW2 'baby boom,' sorry to inform you that it wasn't so...but yeah, the 'echo' of that boom has come home to roost.; Reply to this comment


by americanfree March 30, 2011 5:22 PM EDT: this guy is stupid, social security is sham and the program should end yesterday.

why should woman keep an unwanted pregnancy and suffer though it and the aftermath of it, and be an unhappy single mother on welfare...so the child can work like a dog to feed my social security?; Reply to this comment


by tsigili March 30, 2011 4:40 PM EDT: Wow. he really has NO clue, now does he????

World population is on the verge of crossing the "point of no return" by 2050, of destroying the planet, irreversibly.......and he thinks we should be having MORE babies, while int he midst of the LARGEST baby boom since WW 2?

Who elects these guys?; Reply to this comment


by Priceless99 March 30, 2011 4:24 PM EDT: Civil discourse at its best; we are hopelessly opinionated. More concerned with our right to be right than anything else.

A point of information, as a teacher, I am required to pay into Social Security as well as the state pension system. I do not think any of us think either system is guaranteed at this point.; Reply to this comment


by MerrellObrian March 30, 2011 3:39 PM EDT: I wouldn't doubt one second that HiTech53 is really a member of the Westboro Baptist Church! Hi jerk. I'm here because you mentioned "gay". Your ridiculous arguments about abortion have been systematically defunked by people much more "HiTech" intellectually than you. So, here I am, Buddy Roe Westboro. A proud, openly gay man who has NOTHING to do with abortion, as you again, have misguidedly attributed cause.
I want you to know how stupid sounding your "arguments" are as Pro-life. Over-population is the only thing your religion would acheive, which you neo-cons solve with the wholesale murder known as war.
In case you haven't figured it out, this is one man who WON'T run from you or your religion. We're winning the fight every day and I'm here to stick that fact in your face. I don't fear you or your voodoo AT ALL and I'm here representing those facts. I STAND in your face and say YOU are wrong!; Reply to this comment

by credibility2 March 30, 2011 3:21 PM EDT

SS is under-funded because 1) government workers (teachers, politicians, etc.) don't have to put into the system because they have their own where they end up getting 100% of their contributions; 2)too many people who never put into the system are getting benefits (e.g. foreign nationals, disabled, etc.); 3) the income ceiling needs to be raised from $106k to at least $250k for contributions into the system adjusting the maximum benefit paid; 4) no one should be able to qualify for benefits unless they've put into the system for at least twenty-five years and are of retirement age; and, 5) the government should stop raiding SS for things other than SS.

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