LTP News Sharing:

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) speaks to reporters following the weekly Senate luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on December 17, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images)

Democrats have
been caught doing the very thing they’ve been accusing President-elect Donald
Trump of doing: Cutting Social Security.

On Wednesday,
the U.K. Daily Mail reported Senate Democrats are trying to push through a
Social Security reform bill they want to see signed by President Joe Biden
before Trump takes office.

The Social
Security Fairness Act aims to repeal provisions that reduce payouts to public
sector employees like police officers, firefighters, teachers, and post
workers. The Mail cites The Committee for a Responsible Budget in their
article, and that group states this would make Social Security insolvent six
months earlier than current projections by giving increased benefits to 3
million people who paid into their state or local pensions that did not pay
Social Security.

The CRFB also
states, “As a result, we estimate a typical dual-income couple retiring in 2033
would see their benefits cut by an additional $25,000 over their lifetime.”

The think tank
says if Social Security runs out of money under this bill, as much as $400,000
in benefits would be lost for the average couple. CRFB states the cost for the
bill over the next decade — citing the Congressional Budget Office — would be
$190 billion

After already
passing in the House of Representatives, the push for a vote in the Senate
comes from Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer while Republican Sen. Rand Paul wants to
add an amendment to the bill gradually raising the age of retirement to 70.

Paul spoke on
the matter to The Hill.

“It speeds the
bankruptcy of Social Security. Social Security is due to go bankrupt in 2034.
This will speed it up by a year or so. It’s $200 billion added to a program
that is already short of money,” he said, following up by commenting, “If
you’re going to add to its mandate by expanding it, you should pay for it.”

Schumer tried
to pose the effort on X in the most altruistic fashion last week, saying, “It
would ensure Americans are not erroneously denied their well-earned social
security benefits simply because they chose at some point to work in their
careers in public service.”

Despite this
appearing to be an expansion of Social Security, it is a short-term payoff for
some that will ultimately be incredibly costly.

We have heard
repeatedly from Democrats that it is Trump who goes after Social Security, not
them. Days before election day, Vice President Kamala Harris posted to X
accusing Trump of just that.

—

Post on X

Kamala Harris
@KamalaHarris

Donald Trump
tried to cut Medicare and Social Security every year he was president.

I believe that
when people have worked hard their entire life, they deserve to retire with the
benefits they have earned.

—

Biden gave
similar statements in a press release from May, saying, “Medicare is stronger
and Social Security remains strong. As long as I am President, I will keep
strengthening Social Security and Medicare and protecting them from
Republicans’ attempts to cut benefits Americans have earned.”

In July,
Democrat Rep. Hakeem Jeffries invoked to boogeyman that is Project 2025 to say
Trump would be the end of Social Security.

He claimed,
“Trump’s Project 2025 will end Social Security and Medicare as we know it.”

Despite looking
to address excessive government spending, Trump stated earlier this month,
“We’re not touching Social Security.”

Under
Democrats’ bill, cuts will be made, and insolvency will be sped up.

It is unclear
whether Democrats actually think this is helpful, or if they just want to
create a massive disaster later — perhaps for the president-elect to “deal”
with.

That all being
said, there may be a far less conspiratorial explanation for this latest move
from the Democrats.

Hanlon’s Razor
states we, “shouldn’t attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by
stupidity.”