The Old Age Survivor Insurance funds are depleted in 2033, include disability funds and we reach 2035.
While we are inundated with propaganda about the quest to save money and ferret out waste, there is not a word about the two largest federal programs.
Time is running out, the task becomes more difficult.
Why we don’t have a task force working in Congress to craft the changes needed to keep both Social Security and Medicare sustainable. Why isn’t there any White House push?
Where are the plans? Where is the concern?
Here is the latest financial status of Social Security. Benefit payments are increasing and the trust fund balance declining.
Note that $51 billion of trust revenue comes from the income taxes paid on Social Security benefits.
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 
The old timers in Congress are too crafty to get caught up in what will be a thankless job. Raising taxes for Social Security. The ones who will retire before 2033 will keep kicking the can down the road. So will Trump. Their mommas didn’t raise no dummies.
In the meantime, there will be lots of discussion but more money in is the only solution.
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Congress has been kicking the can for at least twenty years ignoring the Trustee Reports (which I quoted several times) pleas to take action.
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Where were your Lefty buddies on this? Obama and Sleepy Time?
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Al Lindquist:
the left has now found deficits–egg prices–inflation–immigration–just think if these fools hadn’t been sucked in by all the lies told maybe they might have retained some power–
now they defend bureaucrats but understandable as the party of government stands tall next to their constituents.
let’s hear what the corpse and his merry band of followers proposed to save the system– we’ll get crickets no doubt
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This problem goes back 20 years or more, should have been addressed gradually. Now it’s Trumps turn. Id settle for him publicly urging Congress to put a plan together and pass it.
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So because the problem goes back 20 years it’s okay for your Lefty buddies to ignore it.
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Why would you say such a silly thing? Democrat/Republican have all ignored, including Mr Trump his first term. Please stop calling me a lefty whatever that means. The only time I voted for any Democrat was in 2024 out of desperation trying to avoid what we are seeing now happen to our government.
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you are a Lefty. You never met a government program you didn’t love. Keep spending
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Al Lindquist:
our government is being trimmed, ever so slightly, by folks like Musk who is using private sector methods to deal with a civilian workforce of 2.3 million or so–it’s not pretty that’s for sure (like making sausage) but with a $35 trillion deficit it seems like it’s time to start doing something.
you are right that SS–Medicare/Medicaid are two of the three big culprits (interest on debt #3) and will need to be tackled–Jack had, I think, a solid idea of what might work–but this is the 3rd rail of politics–it will take a crisis to fix the entitlement programs unless we exempt old folks and lay the burden on the grandchildren. and soon.
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DOGE is a propaganda farce designed not to save money but to enhance control. Nothing they can actually save is more than a rounding error. Most of their claims are past errors, not captured savings. Our debt is $36 trillion and our deficit currently $2 trillion. They can be cut without creating great harm. In the meantime Congress is figuring out how to add to the deficit. It will take years to trim the deficit and not adding to it is a good start.
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In your previous response to my emails (in the past……) you challenged me to realize the politicians would eventually take action for fear of getting zapped by the proverbial third rail of politics. My pessimistic outlook is that it won’t happen in the next four years. I am even more concerned that doge and related “planning groups” are going to circumnavigate the system and start disassembling the Social Security and Medicare systems. After all, the people steamrolling these actions are billionaires, and they will never need Social Security or Medicare… Smith Smallwood P.S. Your commentary is a breath of fresh air and indicates there still are cognoscente people in this country. Please keep up your great work!
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Essmallwood:
I would suggest you not be concerned over the continuance of the Social Security program. The program is legislated and not subject to tampering without legislation. The problem with it is in the ebb and flow of the age cohorts that determine how much money is going out. The baby boomers numerically are a huge group to support in old age. The program needs cash for payments since recipients use cash, not treasuries. This will have to be addressed by 2033. The billionaire class is not in play.
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You are technically correct, but these are not ordinary times and legislative programs have already been tampered with. That why there are many lawsuits ongoing. But I can’t conceive any politician taking the risk of tampering with SS.
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