U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson told WisPolitics.com that Social Security should be the easiest of the entitlement programs to fix, saying things like means testing and raising the retirement age should be on the table as part of the solution.

“For whatever reasons, it’s the third rail and people are afraid of it,” Johnson said in an interview before speaking to the Milwaukee chapter of the Society of Plastics Engineers

Johnson stressed that no one is talking about changing benefits for those who are retired or about to retire. He said those at least 55 years old should be shielded from any changes that he says would save the program for future generations.

“Put all those things on the table,” Johnson said. “And you sit down with an actuary, ‘cause in the end it’s math, and you make these programs solvent for 75 years, both Social Security and Medicare.”

Johnson also said he was disappointed that U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan decided not to run for president because his candidacy would have created a “real mandate” on entitlement reform.

“He would have brought real substance to the race; he would have actually talked about the issues we need to talk about in this nation,” Johnson said.

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