Congress Archives

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.

NCPSSM2024-06-11T14:19:17-04:00June 10th, 2024|Categories: Congress, Debt, Democrats, Rep. John Larson, Republicans, Social Security, Social Security Administration (SSA)|

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%.

NCPSSM2024-05-17T12:16:18-04:00May 16th, 2024|Categories: Budget, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Congress, Democrats, Republicans, Social Security Administration (SSA)|

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.

Walter Gottlieb2024-03-22T11:58:19-04:00March 21st, 2024|Categories: Congress, Election 2024, entitlement reform, Medicare, President Biden, Republicans, Social Security|

Biden: The Wealthy Will Pay Their Fair Share into Social Security

In Thursday night's State of the Union address, President Biden put himself unequivocally on the side of American seniors and the programs they rely on. He redoubled his commitment to protecting Social Security after confronting congressional Republicans in last year’s speech.

Walter Gottlieb2024-03-08T13:24:33-04:00March 8th, 2024|Categories: Congress, Medicare, Prescription Drug Prices, President Biden|

The Spending Deal & Seniors: How Do Older Americans Fare in Agreement to Keep Gov’t Open?

What's good and bad for seniors in the current spending deal on Capitol Hill? Our director of government relations and policy, Dan Adcock, tells us about how much funding crucial programs for older Americans are likely to receive for the rest of this fiscal year.

Walter Gottlieb2024-02-01T21:27:28-04:00January 31st, 2024|Categories: Budget, Congress, Medicare, Social Security|

NCPSSM “Tremendously Disappointed” by House Budget Committee Vote

The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare is tremendously disappointed in the House Budget Committee’s vote to favorably report the Fiscal Commission Act of 2023 out of committee. This is the final step in the legislative process before the bill comes to the House floor for a vote. A fiscal commission is designed to give individual members of Congress political cover for cutting Americans’ earned benefits.

NCPSSM2024-01-18T17:01:44-04:00January 18th, 2024|Categories: Congress|

Congress Shouldn’t Enact “Death Panels” for Social Security & Medicare

NCPSSM sent a letter to Congress today urging representatives to reject the Fiscal Commission Act of 2023. This bill would establish a commission that would circumvent Congress’ regular order for considering Social Security and Medicare changes. The bill will be marked up in the House Budget Committee on January 18. Commissions of this kind are intended to squeeze every possible dollar of savings out of Social Security and Medicare without consideration for the adequacy of benefits.

Walter Gottlieb2024-01-17T17:32:05-04:00January 17th, 2024|Categories: Congress, fiscal commission, Social Security|

Sorry, Slate Magazine, We Don’t Need to ‘Radically Rethink’ Social Security

Conservative think tanks and publications have been very busy this fall pumping out propaganda designed to undermine Social Security. Of course, the conservative movement has been working to weaken or eliminate the program since the 1980s, and its messaging seeps quite seamlessly into the mainstream media narrative about Social Security. A recent opinion piece in Slate magazine is the latest example of anti-Social Security propaganda from the political right.

Walter Gottlieb2024-01-05T16:01:17-04:00November 22nd, 2023|Categories: Boost Social Security, Congress, Equal Time, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Social Security|

NCPSSM President Testifies Against Fiscal Commission Proposal

NCPSSM president Max Richtman offered testimony today to the U.S. House Budget Committee, warning that the creation of a fiscal commission to address the federal debt could jeopardize Social Security and Medicare benefits.

NCPSSM2023-10-19T16:12:53-04:00October 19th, 2023|Categories: Congress, Democrats, fiscal commission, Medicare, Social Security|

Would a Government Shutdown Affect Social Security and Medicare?

First, the good news. Even if the government shuts down at the end of this week because of House Republican intransigence, Social Security benefits will continue to be paid and customer service for retirees should not get significantly worse. Now, the bad news. The impending shutdown is symptomatic of a disorder in Congress that seniors should care about: MAGA hardliners once again gumming up the works of a government which best serves the public when operating smoothly, without needless disruptions.