GOP Attacks on Social Security Makes Popular Program Key Midterm Issue
Social Security advocates on Wednesday applauded Democrats including U.S. President Joe Biden for their defense of the popular program as Republicans recycle false claims that the nation will soon be unable to pay for the program’s benefits, making the monthly payments that help support more than 65 million Americans a key issue ahead of the midterm elections.
Biden in recent days has taken direct aim at Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who have both called for Social Security to regularly be reviewed by Congress—which Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and others warn would inevitably result in “massive cuts” to benefits.
The “only election-year plan the GOP has this year,” written by Scott, would “require Congress to vote on the future of Social Security every five years,” said Biden. Johnson, the president added in another tweet, would put the program up for a vote annually.
Biden has also urged Americans to support Democrats in November in order to protect the program.
Jon Bauman, president of the Social Security Works Political Action Committee, said Wednesday that Democrats are “doing a pretty good job of pushing the Republican threat to Social Security and Medicare front and center.”
The proposal authored by Scott earlier this year described the Republicans’ plan for the country, including the sunsetting of “all federal legislation” after five years—a radical change which would exacerbate the wealth inequality crisis, with 55% of Americans age 55 and older already living without retirement savings.
According to a report released in June by the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Federal Disability Insurance Trust Funds, the program has a surplus of $2.85 trillion, is fully funded until 2035, and is 80% funded for the next 75 years.
Originally published at Commondreams.org.
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