House Committee Considers Bill to Boost Social Security
Posted August 2, 2019 by Premier Disability Services, LLC®The president of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Max Richtman, is urging the House Ways and Means Committee to boost Social Security — and keep the system financially sound for the rest of the century — as it takes up the Social Security 2100 Act. The bill, introduced by Congressman John Larson (D-CT), receives its first full committee hearing today after years of inaction by the former House majority. In his testimony to the committee, Richtman emphasizes that the National Committee enthusiastically endorses the bill on behalf of its millions of members and supporters.
The bill assures that Social Security remains fully funded for more than 75 years, while expanding the program in significant ways:
- An across-the-board increase for all beneficiaries of about 2% of the average benefit
- Adoption of the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E), which more accurately reflects the true impact of inflation on retirees than the current formula
- Tax relief for many Social Security beneficiaries
- An increase in the special minimum benefit so that it equals up to 125% of the federal poverty level
Congressman Larson says the bill will be marked-up in September, and could come to the House floor for a vote this Fall. The legislation was first introduced in 2014, but did not even receive a hearing under GOP control. The new House majority has given the Social Security 2100 Act new life. The bill has more than 210 cosponsors, nearly a majority of House members.
The enhanced benefits and fiscal guarantees in the Social Security 2100 Act would be paid for in two ways: 1) By adjusting the FICA payroll income cap so that high-earners would contribute to the system on income above $400,000; 2) By slowly raising the FICA payroll tax paid by employees 1.2% over the next 24 years – or about 50 cents extra per week for the average wage earner.
Contact our office today if you or anyone you know would like to learn more about qualifying for Social Security Disability benefits.
Read Max Richtman’s full testimony here: https://www.ncpssm.org/documents/letters-116th/testimony-for-ways-and-means-committee-on-social-security-2100-act/
Read the bill summary here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/860
By: Joyce Trudeau of Premier Disability Services, LLC®
