Senator John Ashcroft promoted his social security “lockbox” legislation during his first senatorial debate with Governor Carnahan. Ashcroft says, until his lockbox concept, lawmakers had been raiding the social security trust fund since the 1950’s. He says Medicare now uses the lockbox concept and it is supported by politicians from both parties. Carnahan accuses Senator Ashcroft of hypocrisy in the matter, saying his republican opponent has advocated a $4 trillion tax cut that renders his lockbox concept useless. Carnahan says he also supports higher funding of federal entitlements to make sure they stay solvent. Ashcroft is promoting a similar concept for local education, what he calls a $200 billion classroom trust fund.
