Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) is calling for a tax increase on higher earners to safeguard Social Security — a political gamble given the unpopularity of tax increases in the Republican Party, but one some strategists think could play in Ohio.

Moreno, who first entered office in 2025, is one of the more populist members of the Senate, and to the surprise of some, endorsed a plan alongside Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) that calls for lifting the Social Security payroll tax cap. Citing one estimate, they said doing so would infuse the Social Security program with around $3 trillion, which they argue would help stabilize the entitlement program.