Seven Falsehoods in Senator Mike Lee’s Social Security Post

Earlier this week, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) posted an extensive – and patently ridiculous – diatribe against Social Security on X (formerly Twitter).  The thread is full of falsehoods and misleading assertions about America’s most popular social insurance program. Senator Lee incorporates many tired myths that the political right propagates to undermine a successful government program they can’t stand – simply because it is a successful government program.
2024-12-04T17:07:23-04:00December 4th, 2024|Categories: Republicans, Senate, Social Security|

Harris Likely to Sustain Biden’s Social Security, Medicare, Rx Drug Policies

As we have noted many times, the President has fought especially hard for American seniors --- by lowering prescription drug prices, strengthening Medicare, and advocating improvements to Social Security --- which is why he earned our endorsement in June. His heir apparent, Vice President Harris, has been in lockstep with President Biden on these crucial issues.

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.

House GOP Appropriators Announce 10% Cut in Labor/HHS Spending

House Republicans once again are showing where their true priorities lie.  Appropriations committee chair Tom Cole (R-OK) announced the GOP’s topline numbers for fiscal year 2025 --- including at least a 10% cut in funding for Labor/HHS (Health & Human Services).  That could mean agencies like the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would endure a huge spending cut, while Republican appropriators propose to boost military spending by 1%.

Republican Study Committee Budget Cuts Earned Benefits; Keeps Trump Tax Cuts

For solid clues as to what the Republicans would do to Americans’ earned benefits if they maintain power in the House and recapture the Senate and/or the White House, look no further than the House Republican Study Committee (RSC) 2025 budget blueprint. For the second year in a row, the RSC proposes cutting Social Security and Medicare.  Rep. Brendan Boyle, Ranking member of the House Budget committee, estimates that these cuts amount to $1.5 trillion for Social Security and $1 trillion for Medicare.

FDR Would Be “Fighting Mad” About Assaults on Social Security, Says Grandson on New Podcast

President Franklin D. Roosevelt would be “fighting mad” about conservative attempts to undermine Social Security, says his grandson, Jim Roosevelt on the first episode of our new podcast --- released this week.

House GOP Spending Proposal Would Slash Social Security Administration Funding

We don’t know exactly what the impact of any cut will be on SSA, but we do know they have already requested an increase of $727 million above current funding, as a minimum, for FY 2024.  Without this level of funding, they will be forced to reduce staffing and overtime, which will hurt the agency’s ability to serve the public.  Without that minimum level of funding, SSA’s customers will wait significantly longer for field office services, disability decisions, and phone support, and their already significant backlogs would increase.  
2023-09-18T15:41:28-04:00September 18th, 2023|Categories: Budget, Congress, Republicans, Social Security, Social Security Administration (SSA)|

Democrats Push for Strengthening Social Security in First Hearing of New Congress

The first hearing on Social Security of the new Congress saw Republicans claiming that they simply want information about the program’s status, while Democrats insisted that it’s time to boost Social Security --- and pushed back on GOP proposals to cut benefits.“ Today, we are faced with the fierce urgency of now. Five million Americans receive below-poverty level (Social Security) checks from their government because Congress has not enhanced benefits in more than 50 years,” said ranking member Rep. John Larson (D-CT).
2023-04-28T11:01:22-04:00April 27th, 2023|Categories: Congress, Democrats, Payroll Tax Cap, Rep. John Larson, Republicans, Social Security|
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