President Donald Trump is as soon as once more vowing to guard Social Safety if congressional Republicans search one other reconciliation invoice.
Requested earlier this week what he would prioritize ought to Republicans in Congress search a reconciliation invoice, a cost-cutting tactic that might bypass the standard Senate filibuster, Trump mentioned he would focus efforts on slicing pointless issues, and “save” others, reminiscent of Social Safety.
“One factor I mentioned and I gave my phrase — we’re not going to harm anyone on Medicaid, Medicare or Social Safety,” Trump mentioned Monday within the Oval Workplace. Congress is prohibited from touching Social Safety’s profit construction or income mechanisms in a reconciliation invoice.
Trump went on to say “we’re doing nice on Social Safety” and that “we will shield it.”
Defending Social Safety is a standard chorus for Trump, who promised to guard the federal program on the marketing campaign path and has reiterated that message by his second time period as president — whilst his administration has sought cuts for different federal packages and companies.
President Donald Trump speaks throughout an govt order signing within the Oval Workplace of the White Home in Washington, August 25, 2025.
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Trump has touted “no tax” on Social Safety with the passage of the One Massive, Lovely Invoice Act final month. Whereas the invoice does not finish Social Safety taxes, it is going to present many older People who qualify for this system with a tax break, in response to a Politifact report.
Trump’s megabill provides an extra tax deduction of as much as $6,000 for People 65 and older. The tax deduction is momentary and is in impact till 2028.
Whereas the transfer that would imply extra revenue for seniors, some critics say it is going to have little impact on the social insurance coverage.
Laurence Kotlikof, a professor of economics at Boston College, mentioned adjustments to the tax deductibles “make it appear like Trump had made good on his promise, however there is not any connection of this in any respect to the taxation of Social Safety advantages.” Kotlikof defined that if an individual is low revenue and their tax charge is low to start with, they won’t get a lot of a tax break from the deductible.
Democrats have criticized the GOP-passed megabill as benefiting the wealthy whereas hurting low-income folks.
The Trump administration celebrated this system’s ninetieth anniversary earlier this month with the Social Safety Administration’s chief saying he’s in search of methods to assist this system evolve to assist future generations, too.
Frank Bisignano, the administrator of the Social Safety Administration, earlier this month shared plans to assist Social Safety develop into a “digital-first company.” Bisignano mentioned the administration had a “daring aim” for 200 million People to have a digital SSA account by the tip of subsequent yr — making this system predominantly digital.
Commissioner of the Social Safety Administration Frank Bisignano speaks earlier than President Donald Trump indicators a presidential proclamation honoring the ninetieth anniversary of the Social Safety Act within the Oval Workplace of the White Home in Washington, August 14, 2025.
Mandel Ngan/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
Whereas Trump has expressed confidence in the way forward for this system, projections state that this system’s belief fund will run out in lower than a decade.
The Social Safety belief fund, which pays retirement and survivor advantages, is about to expire in 2033, leading to a 23% discount in payable advantages at the moment, in response to the 2025 Trustees Report — a Social Safety Administration report that describes the projected fiscal outlook for each Medicaid and Social Safety packages and their belief funds. The OASI belief fund will be capable to pay 100% of complete advantages till 2033. At the moment, the reserves shall be depleted and shall be enough to solely pay 77% of complete advantages, in response to the 2025 Trustee Report.
Commissioner of the Social Safety Administration Frank Bisignano speaks as President Donald Trump listens previous to signing a presidential proclamation honoring the ninetieth anniversary of the Social Safety Act within the Oval Workplace of the White Home in Washington, August 14, 2025.
Mandel Ngan/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
The mixed belief funds that Social Safety makes use of to pay retirees, survivors and people with disabilities are set to expire by 2034 — a yr sooner than what was final projected within the 2024 report, in response to the Trustees Report. As soon as the mixed funds are depleted, the funds would solely be capable to pay 81% of advantages, in response to the report.
The OASI belief fund that’s projected to expire in 2033 was valued at $2.538 trillion on the finish of 2024, in response to the 2025 OASDI Trustees Report. The mixed belief funds that fund social safety are price in complete $2.7 trillion as of the tip of 2024, in response to belief fund knowledge on the Social Safety Administration web site.
In a written assertion to ABC Information, the Social Safety Administration touted the “historic” tax aid to seniors as a result of passing of the Trump’s megabill and maintained that it’s going to proceed to work with Congress to “shield and strengthen” this system.
