House Democrats Introduce Legislation to Protect Social Security Benefits, Offices, and Workforce

On Wednesday, House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John Larson (CT), Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal (MA), Rep. Danny Davis (IL), and Rep. Steven Horsford (NV) introduced three bills that aim to stop the Trump Administration’s plans to gut Social Security. A livestream video of the event can be viewed here.

The Keeping Our Field Offices Open Act would ban Social Security field office closures for the rest of President Trump’s tenure, and the Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act would block and challenge Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) access to Americans’ sensitive Social Security data. Other proposed legislation would require President Trump to provide information regarding DOGE’s plans for SSA, including proposals to cut staff and/or close field offices.

“We have stood with Congressman Larson in the past, we stand with him today, and we support this legislation 100 percent. But you must remember through all the rhetoric, through all the talk about $2 trillion cuts that there is an emotional toll. We need more people at Social Security answering the phones, and we don't need people going through all our records and making up stories,” said President Roach. “And we must let the American people know that we are fighting not just to protect their Social Security but to enhance it. We must let them know that we're fighting for something.”

President Trump Doubles Down on Social Security Lies During Address to Congress

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump delivered remarks to a joint session of Congress. He spent several minutes repeating lies Elon Musk has spread about Social Security. Trump specifically said there were “shocking levels of incompetence and probable fraud” in Social Security falsely claiming that dead people over the age of 150 are receiving benefits.

Musk made the same claim during an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience on Feb. 28 and said Social Security was the “biggest Ponzi Scheme of all time.” The Alliance debunked and responded to Musk’s disinformation in a statement issued on Saturday.

“These lies are dangerous. The biggest threat to Social Security right now is the Trump Administration. The president has broken his promise not to touch Social Security. He has cheered on Elon Musk’s DOGE team as they slash thousands of SSA jobs and shut down Social Security offices nationwide,” said Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance. “This isn’t about efficiency or fraud prevention—it’s about making it harder for seniors and people with disabilities to access the benefits they’ve earned. These cuts force Americans to endure longer wait times and travel greater distances just to receive the benefits they depend on.”

Millionaires Are Done Paying Into Social Security This Year

Yesterday, people who earn one million dollars a year stopped contributing to Social Security for 2025. That is because Social Security payroll taxes are only paid on the first $176,100 of a person’s income.

$300 billion in extra revenue. This would also allow for the increase of benefits for retirees and extend the solvency of the Social Security Trust fund for 75 years.

Several lawmakers have proposed legislation that would increase the cap on earnings subject to Social Security taxes, including the Social Security Expansion Act (H.R. 1700/S. 770), sponsored by Sens. Bernie Sanders (VT) and Elizabeth Warren (MA) and Reps. Val Hoyle (OR) and Jan Schakowsky (IL). Rep. John Larson (CT) is expected to introduce the Social Security 2100 Act soon.

“Billionaires and millionaires should not be able to dodge paying their fair share into the system while average Americans pay Social Security taxes year-round,” said Joseph Peters, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. “Scrapping the cap would ensure that Social Security remains strong for decades to come and allow us to finally increase benefits for retirees.”

KFF Health News: Trump Vowed To End Surprise Medical Bills. The Office Working on That Just Got Slashed.
By Noam N. Levey

As President Donald Trump wrapped up his first term in 2020, he signed legislation to protect Americans from surprise medical bills. “This must end,” Trump said. “We’re going to hold insurance companies and hospitals totally accountable.”

But the president’s wide-ranging push to slash government spending, led by billionaire Elon Musk, is weakening the federal office charged with implementing the No Surprises Act.

Some 15% of those working at the federal Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, or CCIIO, were fired two weeks ago, according to the agency’s former deputy director in charge of operations, Jeff Grant.

And while the full impact of the cutbacks is still coming into focus, the retrenchment is threatening work at an agency already laboring to run an overstretched system for resolving sometimes very large bills from out-of-network medical providers.

Read more here.

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