$20,833.00 per month????

[Honeycombe8]

140. Because a program is cut does not mean the dollar amount goes down, correct?

Because of automatic increases for COL or expenses.

If Social Security funding is cut, that does not necessarily mean a DECREASE in benefits immediately. It may mean FUTURE benefit decreases, or smaller increases. But it's a cut nonetheless.

I'll research this. It's possible Congress wouldn't allow the cuts to go through.

As for the increase 1980-1988, I'll research that. But I do know that, for instance, in the stock market, it shows a false picture to try to show an increase or decrease in value of a stock, or the market generally, during any one specific period of time. Within that period of time are multiple increases and decreases, for various reasons. A lot depends on where you are at the starting point. For instance, had Reagan already cut the grant in 1980? I doubt it, but that's an example.

As for increases....there are automatic increases in federal programs because of inflation. That is not considered growth in a program. For a program's funding to stay the same, it would have to increase every year, except during a recession (although I've yet to see anything cost less during a recession).