As he considers a bid for the Republican nomination for President, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is in New Hampshire sharing his proposals on Social Security and Medicare.
At a town hall meeting at the VFW hall in Derry Thursday evening, Christie said the retirement age should be pushed up two years. He also said the government should “means-test” Social Security recipients to ensure wealthy retirees don’t get more than they need. Christie says the same goes for Medicare.
"If you make over $200,000 in retirement income a year, let’s not subsidize your Medicare 75%, which is what we do now. Let’s subsidize it 10%," Chrisie said. "If you have the money to pay for your healthcare, pay for it. If you don’t, and you need the program, we’ll subsidize it 75%."
Christie also said instead of Obamacare, the country needs a program that responds to the unique needs of each state.
While in Derry, Christie had harsh words for how President Obama has handled the economic recovery. He says the President is responsible for the weakest recovery from a recession in more than half a century, and the country needs four-percent growth to really recover.
More broadly, Christie distinguished himself stylistically from the President, who he says is interested in wealth redistribution.
"His philosophy of government is he gets to pick the winners and losers," Christie said. "My philosophy of government is: ingenuity and hard work should be what gets to pick the winners and losers.”
Christie will continue to greet voters Friday in Concord and Franklin.
