Fiscal Commissions Are not the Answer for Strengthening Social Security
Soon-to-be retired Senator Dick Durbin’s (D-IL) new PROMISE Act is the latest in a wave of proposals to establish a ‘fiscal commission’ to address Social Security’s looming financial shortfall, instead of allowing Congress to do its job and devise its own proposals. Durbin’s bill would authorize the four-person Social Security Advisory Board to draft a 50‑year solvency bill that would be fast‑tracked through Congress by the end of the current legislative session. While it differs from earlier commission proposals, Durbin’s legislation still relies on an outside body to formulate changes to a program that 70 million Americans rely on for basic financial security. On the latest episode of our Capital Quick Takes video series, communications director Walter Gottlieb interviews our President and CEO Max Richtman about Durbin’s bill and other efforts to create fiscal commissions for Social Security.
Trump & GOP’s Role in Rising Health Insurance Costs
New reporting shows Affordable Care Act (ACA) premiums are set to spike by an average of 14% in 2027, on top of last year’s double‑digit hike. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a Trump administration that has made life more expensive and health care less secure for the most vulnerable Americans. For millions of Americans who buy coverage on the ACA marketplaces, the story of the past two years is simple: the bill got bigger, the help got smaller, and people are walking away from coverage.
Latest Atlantic Piece Ignores the Real Oligarchy
In his latest column for The Atlantic titled “An Oligarchy of
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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.
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.)
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.
The Trump/Vance Medicaid Retribution Road Show
The Trump administration continues to weaponize Medicaid to punish Blue States under the phony cover of hunting for “waste, fraud, and abuse.” Trump named J.D. Vance ‘fraud czar’ – and the veep has wasted no time withholding billions of dollars in Medicaid funds from Democratic-run states. Last week, Vance announced he’s holding back $1.3 billion in Medicaid reimbursements to California over allegations of “fraud.” There obviously is no love lost between the Trump administration and Governor Gavin Newsome’s state.
Fact-Checking the Frankster 2.0
The Trump administration is celebrating Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano’s first year on the job with a triumphant press release, hailing the agency as a “premier service organization.” In truth, there isn’t much to celebrate, despite Bisignano’s boasting.
Equal Time: Dudek’s Bizarre Attack on Rep. Larson
Former Acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek must be a skilled contortionist, because he tied himself into knots attacking