Angie Craig is deaf on seniors issues
Won't engage on Medicare Advantage flaws, her plan for Social Security is inadequate
By Chuck Smith-Dewey
My journey from being one of Angie Craig’s staunchest supporters to one of her most vocal critics was shaped by two significant experiences within the South Metro chapter of the DFL Senior Caucus. These moments also provided me with a stark understanding of how corporate money can poison political campaigns.
Connecting with constituents is a fundamental duty for Congress members, and Angie shone in this area during her first two terms. This website was partly created to showcase her open, in-person monthly town halls aimed at fostering this connection. Her predecessor, Rep. Jason Lewis, famously did not hold town halls.
Since the COVID pandemic, she has conducted just one in-person town hall in her district, which lasted an hour and was shared with six members of the Minnesota legislature. This event was quickly added to her agenda after she declared her intention to hold town halls in the four Republican-held districts of the state to kick off her U.S. Senate campaign.
The other three Democratic members of Congress from Minnesota do conduct in-person town halls, with Rep. Ilhan Omar notably holding them monthly, similar to what Angie used to do.
ONE: Angie ignores issues with private Medicare plans
The first incident occurred in February 2024, when a group of us from the senior caucus sought to hold a town hall meeting with Angie to discuss necessary reforms to Medicare Advantage. We had 30 seniors, representing every Senate District in CD2, eager to engage in this conversation.
Medicare Advantage plans are private health insurance options marketed to seniors as substitutes for their government Medicare coverage. These plans come with numerous issues, such as misleading marketing practices, limited provider networks, and high rates of denial for doctor-recommended treatments. Additionally, they represent a poor deal for taxpayers, as the government tends to overpay private insurance companies.
Unfortunately, we never secured a town hall. Instead, a few of us were permitted to present our concerns to her staff. You can find the script of our presentation here.
We requested a response or follow-up, but all we received was silence—no acknowledgment from the congresswoman or her staff that the meeting had even occurred.
In a later text exchange, I directly inquired whether she had viewed the presentation, particularly the video created for her by our mutual friend Caren Gallagher, who passed away from cancer later that year. While she responded to other parts of the conversation, she completely ghosted my question about Caren and the presentation.
Follow the money
Among Minnesota’s congressional delegation, Craig ranks second only to Rep. Tom Emmer in receiving contributions from the private health insurance sector that markets Medicare Advantage plans (SOURCE: healthinsurancetracker.com).
TWO: Angie caught in a falsehood at seniors meeting
Angie Craig made a campaign appearance at the South Metro seniors meeting in August 2025, where she informed the audience that she had been a cosponsor of the Social Security Expansion Act until this Congress, when she introduced her own bill that she preferred.
However, only the latter part of her statement was accurate. I fact-checked her in real-time, pointing out that her name had never appeared on the Expansion Act and asked if she wanted to amend her statement. I could see the color drain from her face before she stammered something and moved on.
After the meeting, through text messages, it became evident that she was unaware of what the Expansion Act entailed. Yet, after being caught out in a room full of seniors, she was listed as a cosponsor a week later.
Should Angie be given the benefit of the doubt?
I am well aware of what the Social Security Expansion Act is. It’s reasonable to expect that Angie should have been informed about it before proposing her own bill. Among the few bills aimed at extending the viability of Social Security, the Expansion Act is undoubtedly the most recognized.
Five months prior, I had texted her to consider backing the Social Security Expansion Act. She responded that her bill did “the same thing.” I followed up again in March, pointing out that her bill seemed to focus on eliminating the federal taxation of benefits. I received no reply. I reiterated my request for her to consider supporting it two weeks before the August meeting. Still, no response.
Why her bill is a pale imitation of the Expansion Act
By all standards, Angie’s bill is lacking. The CBO has scored the Expansion Act to extend Social Security for 75 years, ensuring that today’s 18-year-old worker will receive full benefits into their 90s. In contrast, Angie’s proposal extends viability for 24 years.
Every dollar of Social Security benefits has seen a nearly 14 percent decline in its purchasing power over the past ten years. The Expansion Act tackles this issue by implementing a $200 monthly increase in benefits and reforming the Cost of Living formula for the future. However, Angie’s bill does not restore benefits.
If the cap remains in place, the Social Security Trust Fund is projected to face a deficit beginning in 2032, leading to an automatic cut in benefits ranging from 22 to 25 percent. Angie asserts that her bill will decrease the National Debt by $9 trillion, but this claim seems misleading. The projected reduction relies on the assumption that Congress will allocate funds from general revenue to Social Security to maintain full benefits after the trust fund is depleted, which is highly improbable.
Angie inflates impact of her Social Security legislation
In two campaign videos, Angie has exaggerated the impact of her Social Security legislation, altering the official viability period of the program from 24 years to 34. The first video showcases this claim, while the second features her debate with DFL-endorsed candidate Peggy Flanagan on MPR. Angie attributes the 34-year figure to the Congressional Budget Office; however, Congress.gov indicates that the bill has not been evaluated by them at all.
Craig victory in insulin pricing for Medicare beneficiaries
No individual is defined by a single aspect, and this holds true for members of Congress as well. Craig initially proposed and advocated for the Affordable Insulin Now Act, which garnered widespread support and successfully passed through the House of Representatives in March 2022. This was before the events described above when she became less engaged.
Although it did not make it through the Senate, language from the act was integrated into President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, establishing a $35 monthly limit for Medicare recipients effective January 1, 2023.
StatNews attributes the concept to pharmaceutical leader Eli Lilly and UnitedHealth Group, who pioneered a $35/month pilot program within Medicare, discovering that this price point would encourage enrollees to adhere to their medication regimen.
United Healthcare is a contributor to the Center Forward Committee, which has spent $2.8 million this year in support of Angie Craig and Michigan Senate Candidate Haley Stevens, who recently lost her primary to a progressive candidate who, like Angie’s opponent, was outspent 10 to one.
My letter to Seniors
Earlier this year, I sent a memo to some leaders of the DFL Senior Caucus outlining reasons why Angie Craig should not receive their endorsement.
Even though it was shared with only a few individuals before the vote at the statewide annual meeting, Peggy Flanagan secured 59 percent of the votes on the first ballot. She easily surpassed the necessary 60 percent endorsement requirement on the second ballot.
Read the letter here.
Caren’s video for Angie
On the morning our group was supposed to have a Zoom call with Angie’s team, Caren had a chemotherapy appointment added and couldn’t join us.
She believed it was crucial for Angie to hear her thoughts on Medicare Advantage, so she sent me a voice memo to turn into a video.View it below.
Who supports the Social Security Expansion Act
Nearly all the DFL-endorsed candidates for Congress support the Social Security Expansion Act.
U.S. Senate
Peggy Flanagan: YES
House of Representatives
CD1, Jake Johnson: NO
CD2, Matt Little: YES
CD3, Rep. Kelly Morrison: NO
CD4: Rep. Betty McCollum: YES
CD5: Rep. Ilhan Omar: YES
CD6: Doug Chapin: YES
CD7, Erik Osberg: YES
CD8, Trina Swanson: YES
The DFL Rural, Senior and Disability Caucuses have sponsored town halls on the the Social Security Expansion Act.
The Act was added to the 2026 Action Agenda at the DFL State Convention.
The MN GOP added a plank to its Action Agenda to “phase out” Social Security, giving clarity to the two parties’ positions.
