U.S. Rep. John Shadegg, R-Ariz., rallied in support of Social Security reform to a strongly divided audience at a Phoenix middle school Thursday.
Shadegg hosted the town hall meeting at Madison No. 1 Middle School to lay out his plan of adding private accounts to Social Security.
ASU's College Republicans were in attendance to support Shadegg and the Republican agenda.
Jared Sandella, the president of the club, said Shadegg presented a strong case for reform.
Michael Jaskie, a mathematics senior and member of the College Republicans, said he was not convinced the reform was needed but the congressman changed his mind.
"He's addressing the technical and personal side to Social Security," he said.
Shadegg was recently elected the House Republican Policy Chairman in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Social Security benefits would be cut by 27 percent in 2042 if the current system remains, Shadegg said.
Shadegg's plan is to offer people a chance to place some of their income in personal accounts instead of the Social Security fund. He said this provided a better chance of preserving benefits.
"When you send money to Washington, Washington spends it," he said.
Opposition came vehemently from Dan Pollard, a spokesman for The International Brotherhood of Electricians.
He presented the congressman with a list of complaints, including the outsourcing of jobs and the trillions of dollars the government is borrowing from other countries.
Social Security should stay the way it is and this new form of investing will only profit investment companies, he said.
"I appreciate you coming down here and taking the beating," he told Shadegg.
Reach the reporter at michael.famiglietti@asu.edu.
ONLINE EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was modified Feb. 28 to note that Shadegg said Social Security benefits will be reduced, but not eliminated, by 2042 under the current system.
