Medicare Blog

why doesn't congress refuse to openly talk about social security and medicare trust funds?

by Juliana Schuster Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Will Senate Republicans Sunset Social Security and Medicare if they win?

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell flatly said that, if the Republicans win control of the Senate, sunsetting Social Security and Medicare “would not be a part of our agenda.”

Does Rick Scott want to end Social Security and Medicare?

Scott never specifically mentioned Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in his call for sunsetting all federal legislation in five years, but he has acknowledged that they would be included. Scott says his aim would be to “fix,” not end, the programs.

Will the Social Security Trust Fund run out in 13 years?

The reintroduction follows the Social Security Administration’s latest estimates that the trust funds that support the program will be depleted in just 13 years. House Democrats are reintroducing a Social Security reform bill popular with their party. This time, it features some changes aimed at attracting more support from Republicans.

Is Congress stealing from Social Security?

What Congress hasn't done is steal from Social Security. However, lawmakers have known of the program's shortcomings since 1985, and have yet to find a middle-ground solution to fix it. If you want to point the finger at lawmakers, do so because bountiful solutions exist, but political hubris appears to be getting in the way.

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What president took money from the Social Security fund?

3. The financing should be soundly funded through the Social Security system....President Lyndon B. Johnson.1.STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT UPON MAKING PUBLIC THE REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL ON AGING--FEBRUARY 9, 19646.REMARKS WITH PRESIDENT TRUMAN AT THE SIGNING IN INDEPENDENCE OF THE MEDICARE BILL--JULY 30, 196515 more rows

Why are we running out of money for Social Security and Medicare?

Over the next ten plus years, the Social Security administration will draw down its reserves as a decreasing number of workers will be paying for an increasing number of beneficiaries. This is due to a decline in the birth rate after the baby boom period that took place right after World War II, from 1946 to 1964.

Does Congress fund Social Security?

SSA Budget Information The benefits these programs pay are part of the Federal Government's mandatory spending because authorizing legislation (Social Security Act) requires us to pay them. While Congress does not set the amount of benefits we pay each year, they decide funding for our administrative budget.

Why is there an issue with the Social Security Trust Fund?

Their loss of income caused problems for themselves and their families – and for the Social Security system. The problem is that the Social Security system is paying out more money to retirees than it collects from workers. You see, the money coming out of your paycheck does not fund your future retirement.

Is Social Security in danger of running out of funds?

Myth #1: Social Security is going broke The facts: As long as workers and employers pay payroll taxes, Social Security will not run out of money.

Why do they say Social Security will run out?

People believe the program will run out of money for many reasons, including: The Social Security trust funds going broke: It is true that the Social Security trust funds, where the money raised by Social Security taxes is invested in non-marketable securities, is projected to run out of funds by around 2034.

When did Congress borrow money from Social Security?

In other words, the borrowing fund was required to make the loaning fund whole at the end of the process. This authority was used twice, once in November 1982 and once in December 1982. The total amount borrowed was $17.5 billion.

Who was the first president to dip into Social Security?

Which political party started taxing Social Security annuities? A3. The taxation of Social Security began in 1984 following passage of a set of Amendments in 1983, which were signed into law by President Reagan in April 1983.

What is the source for the money in the Social Security Trust Fund?

Social Security benefits are paid from the reserves of the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance ( OASDI ) trust fund. The reserves are funded from dedicated tax revenues and interest on accumulated reserve holdings, which are invested in Treasury securities.

What is the status of the Social Security Trust Fund?

After the projected trust fund reserve depletion in 2035, continuing income would be sufficient to pay 80 percent of program cost, declining to 74 percent for 2096....Summary: Actuarial Status of the Social Security Trust Funds.2021 report2022 reportYear of trust fund depletion78%80%End of 75-year reporting period74%74%SOURCES: 2021 and 2022 Trustees Reports.28 more rows

How long will the Social Security Trust Fund last?

Net redemptions of trust fund asset reserves with Treasury General Fund payments will be required to pay scheduled benefits until projected depletion of these reserves in 2035, a year later than in last year's report. The projected HI Trust Fund depletion date is 2028, two years later than reported last year.

Why is Social Security a fix?

The blunt reason is that any Social Security "fix" is going to make at least some group of folks worse off than before and, mostly likely, will cost the party in power votes in an upcoming election when the fix is implemented. Take, for example, the Democrats' core approach to resolving Social Security's cash shortfall.

How many votes do you need to pass a Social Security amendment?

Amending Social Security will require 60 votes of support, and it's been 40 years since the Senate saw a supermajority of 60 (or more) seats for either party.

What is the payroll tax cap for Social Security?

Most Democrats in Washington have supported the idea of boosting revenue for the program by raising or eliminating the payroll tax cap, which is set at $132,900 in 2019.

How many people are receiving Social Security?

For eight decades, Social Security has provided a financial lifeline to retired Americans. As of July 2019, 63.6 million people were receiving a monthly payout from the program, of which 70% are retired workers. Of these retirees, 62% rely on Social Security for at least half of their income, and more than an estimated 15 million are being lifted ...

How long is the Social Security program?

Every year, the Social Security Board of Trustees releases an all-encompassing analysis of the program that examines how it performed, financially, over the previous year, as well as forecasts its outlook over the short term (10-year period) and long term (75-year period).

Is there going to be anything done with Social Security?

The sad reality, though, is that nothing is going to get done on the Social Security front until both parties learn to compromise with one another and find common ground. The truth is that both of the core proposals work, with each bringing something to the table that the other does not.

Is there a chance of Social Security going bankrupt?

If there is a bright side here, it's that there's zero chance of Social Security going bankrupt, short of Congress changing how the program is funded.

More from Life Changes

Here’s a look at other stories offering a financial angle on important lifetime milestones.

Seeking bipartisan support

The plan also integrates a couple of elements that might help draw support from across the aisle.

Who voted against Medicare?

When Medicare was first being considered Senate Republican Robert Dole (then in the House) voted against it. Also in opposition to Medicare, in a famous 1964 speech, Ronald Reagan explained that his opposition to Social Security and Medicare is why he switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party.

Which party is opposed to Social Security?

The Republican Party has always been associated with opposition to Social Security. Economic historian Max Skidmore shows that the final vote for Social Security was lopsided--only 2% of Democrats voted against it (because it wasn't generous enough) while 33% of Republicans voted against Social Security.

Why did McConnell say the Republicans would defend the tax cuts?

This poll was taken a week after Senator McConnell said the Republicans would defend the tax cuts and cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in order to curb the growing deficit, caused in significant part by those very tax cuts. The Republican Party has always been associated with opposition to Social Security.

What percentage of Americans would prefer to reverse the Republican tax cuts?

A poll one week before the election about Republican social and economic policy is a red flag for Republicans. 60% of Americans would prefer to reverse the Republican 2017 tax cuts than cut spending on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

What would happen if Social Security was passed?

A representative of the Illinois manufacturers testified that if Social Security was passed it would undermine America by “destroying initiative, discouraging thrift, and stifling individual responsibility.”. In 1935, Republican congressman John Taber said Social Security “is designed to prevent business recovery, to enslave workers, ...

Is Social Security a fiscal discipline?

Social Security is one of the few government programs with built-in fiscal discipline. Bottom Line: Though Senator McConnell may not have meant to publicize the Republican agenda to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, the long history of Republican opposition may be an example of what Sigmund Freud and modern psychologists believe--a slip ...

Who said Social Security is designed to prevent business recovery, to enslave workers, and to prevent any possibility of

In 1935, Republican congressman John Taber said Social Security “is designed to prevent business recovery, to enslave workers, and to prevent any possibility of the employers providing work for the people.”.

What has Congress not done?

What Congress hasn't done is steal from Social Security. However, lawmakers have known of the program's shortcomings since 1985, and have yet to find a middle-ground solution to fix it. If you want to point the finger at lawmakers, do so because bountiful solutions exist, but political hubris appears to be getting in the way.

Why is Social Security facing a huge cash shortfall?

One of the more common theories as to why Social Security is facing a huge long-term cash shortfall is that lawmakers in Congress have pilfered cash from the program and never returned it. This idea goes all the way back to 1968, when then-President Lyndon B. Johnson made a change to how the federal budget would be presented.

How much is Social Security shortfall?

According to the latest report from the Social Security Board of Trustees, Social Security is staring down a $13.9 trillion cash shortfall between 2035 and 2093, with the expectation that its $2.9 trillion in asset reserves will be completely exhausted in ...

How long was Social Security on budget?

This means at no point over this 22-year period where Social Security was on-budget did a dime of Social Security income, benefits, or asset reserves get commingled with the federal government's General Fund.

How much interest did Social Security get in 2018?

In 2018, $83 billion in interest income was collected by Social Security. If the folks who believe that Congress stole from Social Security got their way, and the federal government repaid every cent it borrowed, Social Security would have lost out on this $83 billion in interest income in 2018.

When did Social Security get pilfered?

First of all, there's the period between 1968 and 1990, which is believed to be when Congress pilfered America's top social program. What needs to be understood here is that, while Social Security's two trusts (the Old Age and Survivors Insurance Trust and Disability Insurance Trust) and its asset reserves were technically "on-budget," funding ...

Is Social Security going bankrupt?

On one hand, there is solace in knowing that Social Security isn't going bankrupt, which is a function of two of the program's revenue sources being recurring (the payroll tax on earned income and the taxation of benefits). On the other hand, there's no sugarcoating the worry that would follow if benefit cuts of up to 23% are passed along ...

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