Four senior senators express alarm, push for 'hard' Social Security votes

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Hill

06/10/26 4:00 PM ET


Four senior senators, two Democrats and two Republicans, are calling on Congress to tackle the “hard” debate over how to extend the solvency of Social Security after the program’s trustees issued a new report this week projecting it will face a significant shortfall at the end of 2032.

“It’s clear now that Congress shouldn’t delay any longer. Several of us have been coming together to talk about how we can strengthen Social Security for current and future generations of retirees. We say to our colleagues: join us in doing what we were elected to do — legislate on hard issues and protect this lifeline program for our kids and grandkids,” Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Tom Kaine (D-Va.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said in a joint statement.

The senators issued their call to action after Social Security’s trustees warned that the program will become insolvent by the end of 2032 and beneficiaries would see their monthly payments reduced by 22 percent.

The two Republican senators, Cassidy and Tillis, are both leaving the Senate after the current congressional session. Tillis announced his retirement last year after battling with President Trump over the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” while Cassidy lost a primary to two Trump-backed rivals. Durbin, Cassidy, Kaine and Tillis said Congress has good ideas for shoring up the program but needs to find the courage to act.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5918842-bipartisan-senators-social-security/

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3 of the 4 won't be there next year, not just Cassidy and Tillis but Durbin too.

[msongs]

1. no awards for moral courage for this bunch after ignoring the problem for years

[DFW]

3. No, but probably only lame ducks felt free enough to do this

In an election year, it’s the kiss of death to be the author or instigator of a tax-raising piece of legislation. A Senator who won’t be running for re-election is under no pressure and doesn’t fear attacks from an opponent who can use it against him in a campaign. That gun just ran out of ammunition. There’s nothing like that that can be used against them any more.

[GReedDiamond]

2. The obvious simple solution is to raise or, better yet, remove the cap on income levels...

...everyone knows this, but the corruption of the billionaire/epstein class makes this impossible.

If Eloon Skum was forced to pay a percentage of his "income" into the social security trust fund, along with his fellow plutocrats, there would be no problem.

[Bengus81]

10. I paid double the SS for nearly 40 years being self employed years ago

Yet in 2026 just hit $184,500 and stop paying. It's bullshit and it needs to be changed. Very,very simple unless you talk to Republicans who want SS to fail.

[DFW]

4. I think the obvious solution is to not be simple

Find a solution that at least will not lead to capital flight. Maybe raise the cap drastically and lower the rate a little to make it easier on people with modest income, and make the tax bite appear to be less painful to those whose taxes will go up by telling them, “but we lowered your tax rate!”

As it is, I pay 50% of what I receive to the German government (no 15% exclusion if you live overseas), and pay another $10,000 in SS taxes to Washington, since I still work full time. I get to keep a little under a third of my payout. Maybe they could restructure that, too. It’s pointless to send me a certain sum every month when over two thirds of it just goes back to governments. If they raise the cap 100%, I’ll net close to zero, and if they triple it, I’m net negative, and it’s not like I make a half million dollar salary.

Make a reform sensible and palatable to all citizens, and they might even get somewhere. A blanket “tax the rich” is no more useful a slogan than “don’t tax anybody.” Specifics and cooler heads are needed here, and I like the idea of it being addressed by Senators who are invulnerable to attacks by an opponent in an election. The downside is they don’t have a lot of time to make progress. If they are serious about this, they shouldn’t be looking forward to many weekends off in the near future. I hope they get a lot of discreet help from other Senators who are not concerned with having their names on the bill, so they can’t be the target of Fox-engineered attacks on the air.

[travelingthrulife]

6. Most of these people are so wealthy they would not miss this money.

Capital flight is their threat, but not much of a reality.

[Bengus81]

11. They might have to pay for a tank of fuel for their 400' yacht

if they were taxed on all their income for social security. Never miss it..........

[SamuelAdams]

7. The other solutions all are politically unpopular.

We saw what happened when Bush tried to allow Social Security benefits to be invested. Raising the retirement age is even more unpopular. Obviously no one wants their taxes raised. There are only so many ways to extend the solvency.

[lostnfound]

9. Do what we do for all of the wars -- borrow. Also, Obama managed to extend the date by a year. Nt

[Kid Berwyn]

5. Social Security Trustees are all MAGA

Scott Bessent, Secretary of the Treasury (and Managing Trustee)

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services

Keith E. Sonderling, Acting Secretary of Labor

Frank J. Bisignano, Commissioner of Social Security

There are supposed to be six, but you know who likes to make others work harder, so…

Two Public Trustees: Positions currently vacant

[lostnfound]

8. What a waste to work for 45 years and to spend money helping those who needed it

Some of us planned on x=amount so we could finally enjoy a certain house or a certain number of trips.
It sill be easy for the GOP to take that away from us.

This would not be necessary if they weren’t deporting immigrants, driving inflation, stifling working class wages (a percent of which comprises the revenue).

Vultures.