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riversedge

(70,351 posts) Tue Apr 18, 2017, 05:28 PM Apr 2017

Trumps Backdoor Attempt To De-Fund Social Security

I am afraid. very afraid for the future of so many.

Trump’s Backdoor Attempt To De-Fund Social Security

https://trofire.com/2017/04/16/trumps-backdoor-attempt-de-fund-social-security/

April 16, 2017

President Trump has sort of scrapped his tax plan that he actually campaigned on, and instead, he and the Republicans are going to kind of go item by item, make individual tax cuts here and there, threatening countless government-sponsored programs, but one program that could take a significant hit, affecting millions of American citizens, is Social Security. Alex Lawson, Executive Director of Social Security Works, joins Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins to explain what Trump is proposing to do to Social Security here in the United States.

Transcript of the above video:

Farron: President Trump has sort of scrapped his tax plan that he actually campaigned on, and instead, he and the Republicans are going to kind of go item by item, make individual tax cuts here and there, threatening countless government-sponsored programs, but one program that could take a significant hit, affecting millions of American citizens, is Social Security. I’m joined now by Alex Lawson, Executive Director of Social Security Works, to explain what exactly is happening, what Trump is proposing to do to Social Security here in the United States. Alex, thanks for joining me today.

Alex: Thanks for having me.

Farron: So the news has been coming out this week, the AP first reported it, that Donald Trump and his administration, they’ve got this plan, this proposal they’re developing. We don’t know everything, but essentially what they want to do is get rid of, or significantly reduce, payroll taxes here in the United States. How does that affect Social Security?

Alex: So let me start by saying that this is a really traditional trial balloon. We’ve seen this only in reports from the AP, and they’ve been very vague, and they’ve actually changed as we, in the Social Security movement and the progressive movement, have pushed back on it. What was initially reported was just that they were thinking of doing away with the dedicated payroll deduction that funds Social Security, and they said that, ‘Don’t worry,’ we would find other revenue sources for Social Security, but this is just a literal raiding of Social Security. Now, I know you and everyone who watches your show knows this, that no one gives anyone anything with Social Security, right? It’s our money. We pay into the system out of every paycheck.

Also see:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016183486

SafetyPin-Daily? @SafetyPinDaily 1h1 hour ago

Remember When Donald Trump Promised to Save Social Security? | By @helaineolen

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2 replies 16 retweets 8 likes

The Nation? Verified account @thenation 1h1 hour ago

Wait till you see what they want to do to Social Security now. http://bit.ly/2pdB2SL
4 replies 51 retweets 29 likes

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Highlight:

Trumps Backdoor Attempt To De-Fund Social Security (Original Post) riversedge Apr 2017 OP

Trump's budget director: Yeah, we'll cut Social Security, whether Trump knows it or not riversedge Apr 2017 #1

Trumps Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, Gets Social Security Disability Insurance Wrong riversedge Apr 2017 #2

riversedge

(70,351 posts)

1. Trump's budget director: Yeah, we'll cut Social Security, whether Trump knows it or not

Reply to riversedge (Original post)

Tue Apr 18, 2017, 05:33 PM

Apr 2017

Muckmaker? @RealMuckmaker Apr 12

Trump's budget director: Yeah, we'll cut Social Security, whether Trump knows it or not

Link to tweet

riversedge

(70,351 posts)

2. Trumps Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, Gets Social Security Disability Insurance Wrong

Reply to riversedge (Original post)

Tue Apr 18, 2017, 06:04 PM

Apr 2017

http://www.cbpp.org/research/social-security/trumps-budget-director-gets-social-security-disability-insurance-wrong

Trump’s Budget Director Gets Social Security Disability Insurance Wrong
April 3, 2017
by
Kathleen Romig

President Trump’s budget director, Mick Mulvaney, issued a series of falsehoods about Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) during a recent interview, saying: “Let me ask you a question, do you really think that Social Security disability insurance is part of what people think of when they think of Social Security? I don’t think so. It’s the fastest growing program. …t grew tremendously under President Obama. It’s a very wasteful program.”[1] Each of those assertions is wrong, however.

SSDI is an essential part of Social Security. Social Security’s retirement, survivors, and disability programs are closely integrated and work together to provide security to workers and their families upon retirement, if a worker becomes disabled before retirement age, or if a worker dies leaving family members to support. SSDI beneficiaries seamlessly switch to retirement benefits at age 66. Like the rest of Social Security, SSDI serves largely older Americans — in SSDI’s case, providing vital support to people whose careers are cut short by a severe medical impairment. SSDI beneficiaries are typically over age 50, less educated, with long careers in blue-collar or service-sector work, and disproportionately likely to live in the South, Appalachia, or the Great Lakes region.

The number of SSDI beneficiaries is shrinking. The number of SSDI beneficiaries has fallen by 150,000 over the past two years, as demographic and economic pressures on the program have eased. The share of Americans receiving SSDI is expected to remain flat over the next 20 years. Meanwhile, Social Security’s retirement program is growing steadily as the baby boomers age into their retirement years.

SSDI has stringent standards with many safeguards against waste. To qualify for SSDI, workers must have a solid work history and prove that they have impairments so severe they can’t support themselves. Fewer than 4 in 10 applicants ultimately get benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) monitors decisions by disability examiners and judges, and routinely conducts reviews of beneficiaries to ensure they remain medically eligible. SSA has an overpayment rate of less than 1 percent.

President Trump has repeatedly promised not to cut Social Security, saying, for example, “It’s my absolute intention to leave Social Security the way it is.”[2] Keeping this promise means protecting Social Security Disability Insurance beneficiaries.

SSDI: An Essential Part of Social Security

Social Security’s disability and retirement programs are closely integrated, sharing key features.Contrary to Mulvaney’s assertion, Social Security is much more than a retirement program: It provides modest benefits when someone with a steady work history dies, becomes severely disabled, or retires. Social Security’s disability and retirement programs are closely integrated, sharing key features such as the tax base, a work history requirement to become insured for benefits, the benefit formula, and cost-of-living adjustments. At age 66, SSDI beneficiaries seamlessly switch to retirement benefits without filing a fresh application..................

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