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Trump’s $90 Medicare Rebate — Another Gimmick Masquerading as Policy

Instead of meaningful action to lower Americans’ health care costs, Trump has announced yet another publicity stunt. He has promised some 20 million Medicare Part B enrollees a one-time, $90 rebate. Of course, this does effectively nothing to lower Americans’ health care costs, which Trump/GOP policies have made increasingly unaffordable.  The Republicans’ Big, Ugly bill slashed nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid – and the GOP-controlled Congress refused to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits. These actions have put immense upward pressure on Americans’ health care premiums. 
2026-10-06T13:36:45-04:00October 5th, 2026|Categories: Democrats, Trump|

Social Security Commissioner’s Sketchy Sales Pitch to Congress

If Social Security Commissioner (and CEO of the IRS) Frank Bisignano brought anything with him from the corporate world, it is his ability to sell, sell, sell. At a June 10th hearing on Capitol Hill, the former Wall Street executive did his best to sell the fiction that EVERYTHING IS JUST GREAT at the Social Security Administration – despite massive understaffing, poor morale, and outright abuse of beneficiaries’ personal data. While House Ways and Means Committee Republicans responded to Bisignano’s testimony with complete credulity, Democrats and Social Security advocates would have appreciated -- pardon the pun -- a little more Frankness. And maybe even a smidge of humility.
2026-06-16T09:43:00-04:00June 12th, 2026|Categories: Congress, Democrats, Republicans|

Making Sense of the New Social Security Trustees Report 

On Tuesday morning, The Social Security Administration (SSA) released its highly anticipated Trustees Report for 2026. The trustees project that the depletion date of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Federal Disability Insurance (OASDI) trust fund surplus will hold firm at 2034, at which time the program still could play 83% of promised benefits. (Advocates and analysts expected the date to creep up one year to 2033.) Interestingly enough, the trustees report blames Trump administration policies for the acceleration of trust fund insolvency – pointing to the Big, Ugly Bill which decreased tax revenues flowing into Social Security... in addition to Trump’s anti-immigration campaign. (Less immigration means fewer workers paying into the system.)
2026-06-11T11:12:50-04:00June 10th, 2026|Categories: Democrats, Rep. John Larson, Social Security, Trump, Trump Administration|

Social Security Commissioner Helped to Facilitate Trump Slush Fund

Throughout his tenure in the Trump administration, Frank Bisignano — the Social Security Commissioner and “CEO” of the IRS — has established himself as a willing participant in some of the President’s most controversial political projects. That dynamic came to a head this month, when Bisignano used his position with the IRS to sign off on an agreement with the Justice Department that created the widely criticized “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” intended to direct taxpayer dollars to January 6 defendants and other Trump allies. 
2026-06-03T16:17:37-04:00June 1st, 2026|Categories: Commisioner Bisignano, Democrats, DOGE, Social Insurance, Trump|

What Does the End of the Shutdown Mean for Older Americans?

As the longest government shutdown in U.S. history finally ends, many of our readers are asking: what does this deal mean for older adults? We supported Democratic efforts to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies. Without Congressional action to extend these subsidies, millions of “near seniors”— aged 54 to 65— are poised to face dramatically higher health insurance premiums in 2026. 
2025-11-13T14:54:37-04:00November 13th, 2025|Categories: affordable care act, Congress, Democrats, GOP, Medicare, Older Americans, Republicans|

Trump Shutdown Could Snag Social Security, Medicare

In normal times, a government shutdown --- while unfortunate --- would not be cause for immediate alarm for people on Social Security and Medicare. But these are not normal times. The Trump administration has made the shutdown more perilous for the most vulnerable Americans because of its campaign to undermine the delivery of both programs --- not to mention the President’s recent threat to cut benefits.
2025-10-15T15:31:31-04:00October 1st, 2025|Categories: COLAs, Congress, Democrats, Medicare, Social Security, Social Security Administration (SSA), Trump, Trump Administration|

Dems, Republicans Spar on Social Security at Senate Hearing

Senate Budget Committee chairman Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and his colleagues welcomed two panels to Capitol Hill today to host a range of discussions on Social Security. The first featured Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Martin O'Malley, focusing on the Administrations budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2025 and some of his accomplishments in the position. The second panel saw a group of experts join the committee to discus the preservation of Social Security forever and what needs to be done to strengthen America's retirement security.
2024-09-17T09:31:57-04:00September 13th, 2024|Categories: Budget, Congress, Democrats, GOP, Retirement, Senate, Social Security|

Dem/GOP Split on Social Security Apparent in Hill Hearing

The House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee held a hearing about the program's trustees' projection that the Social Security trust fund will become depleted in 2035, absent Congressional action. Even so, Social Security still could pay 83% of scheduled benefits at that time. No one wants Congressional inaction, but the hearing emphasized the difference in the two parties' approaches to the problem.
2024-06-11T14:19:17-04:00June 10th, 2024|Categories: Congress, Debt, Democrats, Rep. John Larson, Republicans, Social Security, Social Security Administration (SSA)|

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