The Honorable Susan Collins
413 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Patty Murray
154 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Chair Collins and Ranking Member Murray:

On behalf of the millions of members and supporters of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, I am writing to ask that as you develop the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill for fiscal year (FY) 2026 you prioritize funding for vitally important programs that America’s seniors depend on to meet the needs of their daily lives. Members of the National Committee come from all walks of life and every political persuasion. What unites them is their passion for protecting and strengthening Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the other programs that are so vitally important to older Americans.

We understand that Congress has many priorities to weigh as part of an appropriations process that operates under funding constraints while striving to balance competing priorities. However, with over 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day – and the number of seniors overall projected to reach 74 million people, or 21 percent of the total U.S. population by 2030 – we urge you to safeguard foundational programs supporting older Americans as the U.S. transitions to a long-lived society.

Social Security is the foundation of retirement security for working Americans 

Not only is Social Security the most effective anti-poverty program in our Nation’s history, it is also the most important source of retirement income for most Americans, and the only universal life and long-term disability insurance available to America’s workers and their families. Over 68 million Americans receive Social Security benefits, including retirees, disabled workers and survivors. About one-half of seniors receive over half of their income from Social Security, and it provides about 90 percent of income for more than one-in-four seniors. Yet the average benefit is only $1,976 per month, barely above the poverty line. Without Social Security, almost half of older Americans (40 percent) would live in poverty.

Americans have worked hard and earned their Social Security benefits with each and every paycheck, and a portion of every Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) payment is intended to cover the cost of administering the program through the operations of the Social Security Administration (SSA). SSA is an extremely efficient agency, providing services at a fraction of the overhead cost private insurance companies charge. SSA excelled at carrying out its mission when its funding represented about 1.2 percent of benefit outlays. In recent years, however, SSA has been seriously underfunded: from 2010 to 2023, SSA’s operating budget has fallen by 13 percent, adjusted for inflation, while the number of beneficiaries has grown by 21 percent. If the President’s funding request of $14.8 billion for FY 2026 is approved, the Agency will have been operating at essentially flat funding levels for its core customer service account since 2024.

This lack of funding, combined with efforts to weaken infrastructure and innovation while demolishing agency staffing, as initiated by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), have left SSA with the lowest staffing levels in half-a-century, abysmal customer service, and a demoralized workforce that cannot possibly keep up with rising demand for services. Commissioner Frank Bisignano has stated his intention to improve efficiency and cut costs by substituting Artificial Intelligence (AI) for employees. To date, this experiment has been an abject failure. Although the Agency has attempted to hide the deterioration of customer service since January, anecdotal evidence abounds of much longer wait times for in-person appointments at field offices, chat-bots that spew irrelevant information rather than responding to beneficiary questions, and repeated computer failures. Rushing technological changes in an effort to replace experienced staff reflects poor management – and it can be catastrophic for an agency that is charged with implementing complicated laws for a beneficiary base that is dependent on receiving their earned benefit checks on time and in the correct amount — each and every month.

This rapid transition to technology is also an ill-considered fit for an agency whose customers are among the least likely to have internet access and the least likely to be technologically adept in conducting complicated financial transactions online. Perhaps when the current generation of digital natives reaches retirement age the use of technology by SSA will be more appropriate, but certainly not for today’s generations approaching or already at retirement age. In fact, the chaos that continues to plague SSA has resulted in many Americans deciding to claim their benefits early, in the mistaken hope this will protect them from losing their benefits entirely – which in fact will leave them with a lifetime of benefits lower than they deserved.

For these reasons, the National Committee urges you not to flat-fund SSA for another year in the vain hope that the Commissioner’s plan to replace experienced staff with chat-bots will be successful. On behalf of the millions of Americans, and your constituents, who expect SSA to deliver their earned benefits reliably, we strongly urge you to provide this agency with the funding level it needs to restore the customer service Americans paid-for and expect. We believe history has shown that funding at a level of at least 1.2 percent of benefits paid would put SSA on a glidepath toward this goal, and we urge you to provide funding as close to that ideal target as possible.

Adequately Fund the Older Americans Act Programs and Other Discretionary Programs Key to Seniors

The Older Americans Act (OAA) supports a range of home and community-based services for older adults, such as home delivered meals (also known as “Meals on Wheels”) and other nutrition programs, in-home services, transportation, legal services, elder abuse prevention and caregiver support. Since 1965, OAA programs have helped seniors age with dignity and continue to be vital members of their communities. OAA programs, and the Aging Network that administer them, do the important work of keeping seniors healthy, happy, active, and fulfilled.

Earlier this month, we celebrated the 60th anniversary of the OAA, and today the Act is more important than ever before. Unfortunately, for years, OAA programs have been deliberately underfunded, as appropriations failed to keep up with inflation while at the same time our aging population has been growing.

Adequate financial support must be provided for OAA programs which are essential in helping to allow vulnerable older adults to age in place rather than languishing in expensive nursing homes.

The President’s budget flat funds most OAA programs, cuts some and proposes the elimination of several programs that are both vital for seniors and are cost-effective.

OAA programs that the President’s budget targets include:

  • A $4.5 million or 66 percent cut to Elder Falls Prevention programs, which would result in an increase in entirely preventable pain and suffering.
  • A $14.7 million or 50 percent cut to the Alzheimer’s Disease Program Initiative, which provides support for individuals with Alzheimer’s and their families.
  • The elimination of the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), which helps people ages 55 and older stay active in the workforce. As a group that faces persistent age discrimination, SCSEP is invaluable for older adults. Ending SCSEP would be particularly harmful for the millions of Medicaid beneficiaries who will be required by the recently enacted budget reconciliation law to be employed. SCSEP was appropriated $405 million for FY 2025.
  • The elimination of Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP), which provides older adults with tools on how to manage conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis, among others, and saves federal dollars by reducing the need for expensive hospital and nursing home care. CDSMP was appropriated $8 million for FY 2025.

In addition, the budget proposes the elimination of:

  • The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), which funds programs that help low-income communities with housing, employment, job training, and education, among many others, and Older Americans Act programs. CSBG was appropriated $770 million for FY 2025.
  • The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) which funds annual grants to support community development activities, primarily benefiting low- to moderate-income individuals, and Older Americans Act programs. CDBG was appropriated $3.3 billion for FY 2025.
  • Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP), which helps low-income people with their energy bills. LIHEAP saves lives by keeping people who live in dangerous weather conditions warm in the winter and cool in the summer. LIHEAP was appropriated $4.025 billion for FY 2025.
  • AmeriCorps Seniors (Retired & Senior Volunteer Program, Senior Companions Program and Foster Grandparent Program), which helps adults ages 55 and older with volunteer opportunities in their communities. The AmeriCorps Seniors programs were appropriated $236.9 million in FY 2025.

These programs and agencies provide vital services to seniors, and beyond providing great value to their beneficiaries, they are cost-effective in ensuring economic and health security and promoting employment and healthier living. The National Committee opposes any efforts to end or cut their funding and urges you to provide adequate appropriations to agencies and programs crucial to older Americans in the FY 2026 Labor-Health and Human Services bill.

Sincerely,

Max Richtman
President and CEO