AARP report: States’ care for seniors “painfully inadquate”. Major gaps in RI

Published in RINewsToday on October 2, 2023

Last week, the Washington, DC-based AARP released its latest Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Scorecard, calling care provided to seniors and persons with disabilities during the last three years after the COVID-19 pandemic “painfully inadequate.” This nine-page report detailed state specific data, finds major gaps in providing care in every state, including Rhode Island, especially in these categories: “Housing for Older Adults”, “Home Care Costs” and “Home Health Aide Supply”.

The LTSS Scorecard, consisting of 50 indicators, focused on: affordability and access; choice of setting and provider; safety and quality; support for family caregivers; and community integration, using data from a variety of publicly available sources, such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, American Community Survey, and Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Many benefits of accessing the data

According to AARP, this Scorecard can be a roadmap for improving the LTSS systems and the lives of those who rely on assistance. Many others will benefit by reviewing this data, too. Federal, state, and local policy makers can identify priorities and ensure resources are allocated equitably. Aging advocates can glean public data and hold government officials accountable. Family caregivers can identify needed resources and become actively involved in policy discussions and advocacy. Seniors relying on long-term care programs and services can learn to inspire culture change and demand available tools. Finally, employers can improve workplace policies and practices to assist caregivers and healthcare groups so they can explore public-private partnerships and alliances.

Like the findings reported in AARP’s LTSS Scorecard in 2020, Rhode Island ranked 12^th in the country in 2023, but this year’s Scorecard reveals that the state has made some progress in improving care options for older Rhode Islanders, specifically the enrollment in the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), as well as the availability of Adult Day Services.

“The pandemic reinforced the need to strengthen long-term care for countless loved ones across the country, including here in Rhode Island,” said AARP Rhode Island State Director Catherine Taylor in a Sept. 28th statement announcing the release of the 2023 LTSS Scorecard.

“AARP’s Scorecard shows that there are many roads to meet the needs of all Rhode Islanders who deserve the very best care, including the 121,000 family caregivers in our state. The overwhelming majority — 87% — of Rhode Islanders age 45+ would prefer to receive care for themselves or loved ones at home with caregiver assistance. Yet, our low rankings in Housing for Older Adults (51st), Home Care Costs (43rd) and Home Health Aide Supply (41st) underscore how difficult it is for them to age the way they choose. It’s time to accelerate our efforts, for the sake of saving more lives,” she says.

RI is dead last in housing

“In particular, Rhode Island’s dismal ranking for Housing for Older Adults – dead last – points to the urgent need to increase the supply of affordable, accessible housing. We can do that by passing legislation early in 2024 to strengthen homeowners’ ability to build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to allow them to age in place, support a family member, or house a caregiver,” Taylor said.

A national snapshot of the LTSS Scorecard’s 2023 Data

According to Scorecard, 12 states, including Rhode Island, have enacted paid family leave laws and 18 states have paid sick day laws, which can be used to assist caregivers. AARP’s latest Scorecard also reported that only 6 states provide a tax credit for family caregivers’ out-of-pocket expenses. Rhode Island does not provide a tax credit – nor is it among the 7 states that have statewide laws protecting caregivers from discrimination in the workplace that ensure they are not unfairly treated due to caregiving duties outside of work.

Meanwhile, it was reported that dozens of states experienced declines in the number of care choices that help support family caregivers. For instance, 16 states, including Rhode Island, had declines of 10% or more in access to home health aides since 2019.

Regarding Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS), the LTSS Scorecard reported that 11 states, including Rhode Island, had state policies that improve presumptive eligibility for Medicaid HCBS at the time of data collection, making it possible for people to go home to receive care after being in the hospital – rather than having to be admitted to a nursing home while their eligibility for Medicaid payments is being determined.

The research indicated that many states also have large numbers of people with low care needs living in nursing homes, indicating a lack of HCBS access and services. More than 20% of nursing home residents in Rhode Island have low needs – compared to 9% nationally.

Data confirms Major Workforce Crisis in nursing facilities across US

As to nursing homes and institutional care, the AARP’s 2023 Scorecard confirmed that a major workforce crisis exists in facilities across the country. Across all states, wages for direct care workers are lower than wages for comparable occupations, with shortfalls ranging from $1.56 to $5.03 per hour. In Rhode Island, wages are $1.79 lower than other entry level jobs.

Nationally, more than 50% of nursing staff in nursing facilities leave their job within a year (53.9% turnover rate). However, in Rhode Island, the rate is slightly better than the average, at 49.3% – with Montana, Vermont, and New Mexico experiencing the highest averages in staffing turnover.

Staffing disparities are also a significant challenge, say researchers, noting that residents of nursing facilities with high admissions of Black residents receive almost 200 fewer hours of care per year compared to residents of facilities with high admissions of white residents.

According to the LTSS Scorecard, only 22% of nursing facility residents live in a facility with a 5-star rating in the US – with less than the national average, about 20.2%, of Rhode Island residents living in a 5-star facility. Gaps in workforce and equity result in persistent problems in care, say the researchers. One measure, pressure sores, can be life-threatening as they can lead to bone or joint infections, cancer, and sepsis. In this measure, 10% of facility residents nationwide experienced a pressure sore.

Finally, this year’s Scorecard announced that there is progress being made to create innovative and effective alternatives to traditional nursing facility models. Specifically, the researchers say that 10 states, including Rhode Island, made strides in nursing home innovations, such as by utilizing Green House® Nursing Home availability and policies, which includes small facilities, private rooms, and other best practices.

AARP’s 2023 LTSS Scorecard identified recommendations that can fix the nation’s delivery of long-term care programs and services to enable seniors to age in place in their communities. It called for increasing support to the nation’s 48 million family caregivers, “who are the backbone of the long-term care system, providing over $600 billion in unpaid care, such as with paid leave, tax credits, and other mechanisms to address health and financial needs.”

AARP Rhode Island continues to call on the Rhode Island General Assembly to support the state’s 121,000 family caregivers by advocating for enhancements to the state’s Temporary Caregivers Insurance program.

Recommendations on enhancing Long-Term Services and Supports

The Scorecard’s recommendations also called for investing in states’ Home and Community-based Care Infrastructure, by increasing support and training for home health aides and home visits, supporting the ability to access and use medical devices and equipment, and updating key Medicaid regulations and payment models.

To tackle the workforce crisis, a recommendation suggests that it is crucial to support both nursing facility and in-home workforce by improving recruitment and training, increasing pay, and expanding the ability of trained nurses, aides, community health workers and other paraprofessionals to take on some aspects of care. States can choose to enact and enforce staffing and related care standards.

A recommendation also calls on States to expand the use of innovative, effective models for nursing homes can improve both quality of care and quality of life, such as with smaller facilities and private rooms and to address inequities by investing to close the staggering gaps in access to quality care and facilities and staffing shortages.

(Editor’s Note: During the pandemic, then Governor Gina Raimondo allocated $5 million towards 2 changes in nursing homes – making all rooms private and providing non-shared, private bathrooms – for all residents – efforts to follow up on this effort have not resulted in what happened to that initiative according to the RI Department of Health).

Another recommendation urges states to create multisector plans for aging and building of coalitions and age-friendly health systems, to help seniors to age in place at home by having affordable and accessible housing and transportation, improved community design, and comprehensive emergency preparedness plans.

Researchers also suggested the advancing innovation in cities, counties, and states by supporting comprehensive state- and community-wide aging plans and piloting new approaches and programs, like Green House® Nursing Homes and presumptive eligibility, that can then be scaled.

Finally, Climate Change is increasing national disasters, and the LTSS Scorecard recommends that every state have a sound emergency preparedness plan to support nursing home residents, in particular, in times of crisis – including natural disaster.

“AARP’s LTSS Scorecard shows some progress and innovation, but there’s still a long way to go before we have systems that allow people to age well, and independently, for as long as possible and support the nation’s 48 million family caregivers. It’s also clear some emerging issues deserve more attention – from whether nursing homes are prepared to confront natural disasters, to whether they have plans in place to maintain and grow their workforces,” says Susan Reinhard, Senior Vice President, AARP Public Policy Institute.

The LTSS Scorecard is a charitable project made possible by a grant from AARP Foundation, with support from The SCAN Foundation, The Commonwealth Fund, and The John A. Hartford Foundation, and has been updated every three years since 2011.

To view the full Scorecard and state-by-state information visit https://ltsschoices.aarp.org/

To view the Scorecard for specifically Rhode Island, go to: https://ltsschoices.aarp.org/scorecard-report/2023/states/rhode-island.

To view Previous Scorecards (2011, 2014, 2017 and 2020) go to https://ltsschoices.aarp.org/scorecard-report/report-archive/

Rally round Martin O’Malley for Social Security Administration Commissioner

Published in RINewsToday on August 7, 2023

Just weeks ago, President Joe Biden nominated former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, Social Security Commissioner, to lead the Social Security Administration (SSA) in delivering benefits to 67 million Americans per month, totaling over 1 trillion dollars in benefits paid during the year. With the SSA Trust Fund running out of money in 2033 if changes are not made to financially shore up the program, O’Malley will be a key player in the fierce partisan battle on Capitol Hill to address the SSA’s solvency.

In a tweet with over 91,000 views after his nomination, O’Malley said: “Humbled and honored to be chosen by @POTUS to lead @Social Security into the future. President Biden believes Social Security is a sacred promise. I look forward to earning the Senate’s approval and serving with the hardworking patriots of the U.S. Social Security Administration.”

After firing Andrew Saul in July 2021, a hold-over from President Trump’s administration who refused to resign, Biden had named Kilolo Kijakazi, who served as SSA’s deputy commissioner for retirement and disability policy, as Acting SSA Commissioner. Over her tenure, Kijakazi oversaw the Baltimore, Maryland based independent agency’s efforts to maintain customer service amid the COVID-19 pandemic that forced the closure of SSA field offices throughout the nation. With the agency’s staffing levels at a 25-year low, along with using outdated technology, customer service plummeted because of long waits for phones in-person service.

Now O’Malley is headed to replaces Kijakazi as Social Security Commissioner. If confirmed by the Senate, he will serve a six-year appointed term. O’Malley will be directly responsible for all programs administered by SSA; for state-administered programs directed by SSA; and for certain functions with respect to the black lung benefits program.

Lots of experience under O’Malley’s belt

O’Malley’s background as two-term Mayor of Baltimore and two-term Governor of Maryland, where he adopted data and performance-driven and customer service technologies to tackle complex challenges, will be helpful as he grapples with how to manage an understaffed and underfunded agency that has reduced SSA’s ability to determine in a timely fashion eligibility of persons seeking retirement, survivor, and disability benefits, and updating benefits promptly when circumstances change. He has written extensively about how to govern for better results by measuring the outputs of government on a real-time basis.

During his time as mayor, O’Malley’s policies helped achieve the greatest crime reduction of America’s largest cities. Prior to being elected Mayor, he served as a member of the Baltimore City Council, and Assistant States Attorney for the City of Baltimore before that.

According to the Georgetown University’s Institute for Politics and Public Service, O’Malley was called the best manager in government by Washington Monthly magazine. “Under his leadership Maryland achieved nation-leading progress: Best public schools in America for an unprecedented five years in a row (Education Week); one of the top states in the nation for holding down the cost of college tuition (College Board); and #1 in innovation and entrepreneurship for three years running (U.S. Chamber of Commerce).”

In 2016, O’Malley ran for the Democratic Party’s nomination for President of the United States. He dropped out of the race in the winter of 2016 after placing third in the Iowa caucus. He also served two terms as chair of the Democratic Governors Association and was appointed to the nation’s first-ever Council of Governors by President Obama in 2010.

O’Malley received his bachelor’s degree from Catholic University and his law degree from the University of Maryland. Since 2016, he has lectured on public administration at numerous universities and institutions, including the University of Maryland, Harvard University, Georgetown University, and Boston College School of Law.

He and his wife, Katie, a District Court judge, have two daughters, Grace and Tara, and two sons, William and Jack.

Calls for O’Malley’s Senate Confirmation

On July 26, Democratic lawmakers and social security advocates were quick to issue statements of support, strongly endorsing and celebrating O’Malley’s nomination to be SSA Commission. Here is a listing of a few of these endorsements:

Oregon Senator, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Ron Wyden: “Social Security needs a confirmed commissioner in order to ensure Americans are receiving the best service possible for their earned Social Security benefits. Governor O’Malley is a proven leader with experience running a large organization that millions of families count on. I look forward to moving this nomination through the Finance Committee as soon as possible.” [Statement, 7/26/23 – https://www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/wyden-statement-on-omalley-nomination-to-lead-social-security

Connecticut Congressman John Larson: “I applaud President Biden for nominating a champion for Social Security, Martin O’Malley, to lead the Social Security Administration and move it forward to better serve current and future beneficiaries. Governor O’Malley has long supported protecting and expanding Social Security. He knows just how important this program is to our seniors and that the modest payments they live on are simply not enough. I look forward to working alongside him as we work to ensure SSA has the resources it needs to serve our most vulnerable Americans for decades to come.” [Statement, 7/26/23 – https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-statement-biden-nomination-martin-omalley-commissioner-social

Nancy Altman, President, Social Security Works: “Social Security Works and I, personally, applaud the nomination of Governor O’Malley, a longtime Social Security champion. We will do all we can to ensure his swift confirmation. We look forward to working with him, once confirmed, to secure more funding for SSA as the president requested and higher benefits, with no cuts, as he, President Biden, and indeed the Democratic Party, through its 2020 platform, have called for.” [Statement, 7/26/23 – https://socialsecurityworks.org/2023/07/26/martin-omalley-will-fight-for-social-security/

Max Richtman, President and CEO, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare: “We commend President Biden for nominating former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley as Social Security Commissioner. It has been more than 20 years since the Senate has confirmed a permanent commissioner nominated by a Democratic president, and it is way past time for the Social Security Administration (SSA) to have one. As a confirmed commissioner, Martin O’Malley will be able to advocate effectively for SSA, which has been chronically underfunded and has struggled to provide adequate customer service.

As a presidential candidate in 2016, Governor O’Malley championed the expansion of Social Security. He proposed boosting benefits and adopting a more generous (the CPI-E) for calculating COLAs — while adjusting the payroll wage cap so that the wealthy pay their fair share. He insisted that ‘it is our responsibility to ensure that Americans who put in a lifetime of hard work are able to retire with the dignity they deserve.’ American workers’ payroll taxes largely fund the SSA. They have every right to expect the agency that administers their benefits to be fully funded — with a permanent commissioner at the helm. The Senate should confirm Governor O’Malley in a timely manner when it returns from August recess.”

Richard Fiesta, Executive Director, Alliance for Retired Americans: “Members of the Alliance for Retired Americans are pleased that President Biden has nominated former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley to be the next Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner. The SSA needs a strong Commissioner now more than ever. With 10,000 Americans turning 65 each day, the workload increases every day, and the budget has been woefully inadequate to meet the needs of seniors, people with disabilities and all-American families. Gov. O’Malley has a proven track record and the experience to navigate these challenges and ensure that Americans are able to get the benefits they have earned. American workers have earned their Social Security benefits, paying into the system with every paycheck. They deserve world class service from a fully staffed workforce equipped with the best tools and technology available. The Alliance for Retired Americans is confident that under Governor O’Malley’s leadership SSA will deliver. There is no time to waste. We urge the Senate to confirm Gov. O’Malley without delay.”

As SSA’s Commissioner, O’Malley will become the point person for Biden to push for an increase in the agency’s administrative expenses to improve computer technology, open field offices across the nation to improve the agency’s customer service by reducing backlog and wait-time on phone to its 67 million beneficiaries. (https://retiredamericans.org/retirees-praise-biden-nomination-of-martin-omalley-to-be-social-security-commissioner/)

Final thoughts…

Like Biden, O’Malley calls for defending the Social Security program against Republican attack, supporting the expansion of Social Security benefits, and raising SSA taxes on higher income beneficiaries. With Senate Republicans opposing these policies and a razor-thin Democratic majority in the upper chamber, expect O’Malley’s nomination to squeak by in being confirmed. After the Senate returns from its month-long August recess, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) must quickly move to schedule a vote on O’Malley’s nomination. SSA now needs its top leader in place to begin working to fix SSA’s ongoing issues of financial solvency and customer service issues.

For more details about O’Malley, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_O%27Malley.

Social Security must be key issue in 2024 Presidential Election

Published in RINewsToday on July 17, 2023

Last Wednesday, 178 House Democrats, (90% of the House Democratic caucus) led by Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) introduced H.R. 4583, the “Social Security 2100 Act of 2023.” The 108-page bill would expand Social Security’s benefits, with no cuts, and keep the system fiscally strong for decades to come. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) has introduced the companion measure in the upper Chamber.

In May, to drum up support, enthusiasm, and attention for H.R. 4583, Larson, House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member, was joined by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-,New York), Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal (D- Massachusetts) and other House leaders to announce the upcoming introduction of Social Security 2100.

“10,000 Baby Boomers a day become eligible for Social Security, making the point of acting now even more urgent, says Larson. “I am proud to be joined again by a majority of my Democratic colleagues to introduce Social Security 2100, and again, ask my Republican colleagues, whose legislation we’ve included, to join us in helping uplift the 65 million Americans who rely on it. Including lifting 5 million Americans out of poverty, providing 23 million a tax cut, and making sure that Americans are able to get the essential benefits that allow them to pay rent, buy groceries, and fill their prescriptions,” he says.

“It’s important that the Social Security benefits that working Rhode Islanders have earned keep up with the cost of living, and that’s exactly what H.R.4583 – Social Security 2100 Act will accomplish. Unfortunately, extreme Republicans in the House are trying to cut Social Security instead of strengthening it. But I am determined to fight for Rhode Island’s seniors in Congress to ensure they receive the benefits they’ve earned,” says Congressman Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.), a sponsor of the legislative proposal.

H.R. 4583: The Nuts and Bolts

On July 12, 2023, H.R. 4583 was introduced and referred to the House Ways and Means, Education and Labor, and Energy and Commerce Committees, being introduced in the lower chamber that day.

According to a legislative fact sheet, H.R. 4583, the legislative proposal would increase and expand essential benefits to Social Security beneficiaries. Larson’s legislation would:

• Increase benefits 2% across the board for all Social Security beneficiaries for the first time in 52 years.

• Improve the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA), so it reflects the inflation actually experienced by seniors.

• Increase benefits to boost lower income seniors.

• Improve benefits for middle-income widows and widowers from two-income households.

• Restore student benefits up to age 26, for the dependent children of disabled, deceased, or retired workers.

• Increase access to benefits for children living with grandparents or other relatives.

• Repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) that currently penalize many public servants.

• End the 5-month waiting period to receive disability benefits.

• Increases benefits by an additional 5% for the most elderly and those who have been receiving disability benefits the longest, those beneficiaries who have been receiving benefits for 15 years or more.

• Provide caregiver credits to ensure that people (mostly women) are not penalized in retirement for taking time out of the workforce to care for children or other dependents.

• End the disability benefit cliff, replacing it with a gradual offset for earnings.

• Cut taxes for 23 million middle-income beneficiaries.

• Correct an unintended flaw in how Social Security benefits are wage-indexed, to prevent benefits from dropping (a “notch”) if the wage index decreases.

• Ensure that these benefits do not result in reduced Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments or a loss of eligibility for Medicaid or CHIP.

• Combine the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) and the Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Funds into one fund to ensure seamless benefit payments.

• Provide the Social Security Administration with resources to improve customer service.

Social Security 2100 Pays for These Benefits by:

• Ensuring millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share by applying FICA to earnings above $400,000.

H.R. 4583 would pay for strengthening the Social Security Trust Fund and pay for the enhanced benefits by having millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share by applying FICA to earnings above $400,000, with those extra earnings counted toward benefits at a reduced rate. The bill closes the loophole of avoiding FICA taxes and receiving a lower rate on investment income by adding an additional 12.4% net investment income tax (NIIT) only for taxpayers making over $400,000.

Social Security advocates call for passage

“By re-introducing his revised Social Security 2100 Act, Congressman John Larson once again defies the media narrative that ‘no one in Washington has the courage’ to address the program’s future,” says Max Richtman, President and CEO, of the Washington, DC-based National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, noting that the legislation extends the solvency of the Social Security trust fund for decades while also providing American seniors with an expansion of benefits. Larson tackles the funding of the expansion of benefits by asking high earners to begin paying their fair share into the program, says Richtman.

“At a time when House Republicans have proposed cutting benefits by raising the retirement age and other means — Congressman Larson offers a commonsense, fair, and forward-looking plan.

Not only is the Social Security 2100 Act wise policy, but it’s also overwhelmingly popular with voters across the political spectrum,” says Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works and Chair of the Strengthen Social Security Coalition.

As the debate over Social Security heats up before the 2024 Presidential election, Altman charges that the nation’s media refuses to “take Democratic plans to protect and expand Social Security seriously, and fails to call out Republicans for their unwillingness to state what they are for, not just what they are against.”

“Reporters are implicitly dismissing these bills because they cannot pass the House and Senate without Republican support. Instead of pressuring Congressional Republicans to introduce their own legislation, the mainstream media provides the Republicans with the cover they seek by claiming that both parties are avoiding action on Social Security” says Altman.

According to Altman, earlier this year President Joe Biden used the presidential bully pulpit at the State of the Union address to call out Republicans for their plans to cut Social Security and Medicare, forcing them to take these program cuts off the table during the debt ceiling negotiations. “If Biden champions a plan that expands benefits with no cuts, while requiring those earning over $400,000 to pay more, the mainstream media will be unable to ignore it,” predicts Altman.

Congressional strategies regarding Social Security

On the same day that Larson introduced his legislation, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, held a hearing, “Protecting Social Security for All: Making the Wealthy Pay Their Fair Share,” on his legislation, S. 1174, the Medicare and Social Security Fair Share Act. A companion measure was introduced in the House by Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (D-Pennsylvania), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee.

At the July 12^th Senate Budget Committee hearing, Whitehouse explained that his legislation would bring enough revenue from the wealthiest to ensure that Social Security benefits will be paid and on time for the next 75 years and beyond.

“Right now, the cap on Social Security contributions means a tech exec making $1 million effectively stops paying into the program at the end of February, while a schoolteacher making far less contributes through every single paycheck all year,” says Whitehouse at the hearing. “That’s not fair, and my Medicare and Social Security Fair Share Act would fix that by requiring contributions to Social Security on wages above $400,000,” said the Rhode Island Senator.

Whitehouse stressed the importance of Social Security to his Rhode Island constituents, by mentioning their comments and thoughts.

“I rely on my Social Security as my only source of income. I would find it impossible to continue to live independently if Social Security were changed, reduced or eliminated. Social Security benefits were a contract between the federal government and its citizens,” said Robert of Pawtucket.

Another Rhode Islander, Antonella of North Providence, said: “I would be very sad and depressed if there were any cuts to Social Security. I just get by as it is.” And Laurel of Pawtucket said that without Social Security, she “would have to go back to work and probably have to work until I die.”

Earlier this Congress, Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) introduced their own bill, S. 393, the Social Security Expansion Act (Whitehouse is an original cosponsor). The Sanders-Warren bill would expand benefits by $ 2,400 each year while fully funding the program for the next three-quarters of a century and beyond.

As to the GOP position on Social Security, the House Republican Study Committee released a plan to cut Social Security by $718 billion over 10 years. This plan, endorsed by three-fourths of the House GOP Caucus), would also raise the retirement age to 69 (for everyone who is currently 59 and younger), which would effectively cut benefits by an estimated 13 percent every year and especially harm low-income workers. It would also reduce benefits for future beneficiaries who earned a “higher salary” before retirement. Also, only “modest adjustments” to the Social Security program as it operates would be made but it doesn’t clarify the changes.

It is important to note that three fourths of the House GOP caucus endorse the RSC budget, making cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

According to SSW’s Altman, while Democratic proposals (Larson, Whitehouse and the Sanders- Warren proposals) to expand Social Security and Medicare are popular with Democratic, Republican and independent voters, Republican politicians have chosen to not co-sponsor any of these bills.

My final thoughts…

Polls show that Social Security and Medicare, two of the nation’s largest social safety net programs, are extremely popular. According to a poll released in March 2023 by the Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs research, 79% of Americans are opposed to reducing the benefits that Social Security beneficiaries receive. As to raising Social Security’s eligibility age from 67 to 70, 75% of American’s were against it.

Another poll released last March found that nearly 9 in 10 Americans say they oppose reducing spending on Social Security or Medicare, according to polling from Axios.

The Congressional debate on financially shoring up Social Security and expanding benefits is of extreme interest to 66 million older and disabled people (175,840 beneficiaries in Rhode Island), who rely on monthly payments from the program. But the Social Security debate must include America’s younger generations, too.

With 477 days left before the 2024 presidential elections, expanding Social Security and making the program fiscally sound and to ultimately be available to Gen Exers (1965 to 1979), Millennials (1980 to 1994), Gen Z (1995-2012) and Gen Alpha (2013 to 2025) must become a key election issue. Social Security beneficiaries and America’s younger generations must call on Congress to expand Social Security benefits and ensure its fiscal viability for every generation. “Keep Your Hands Off Social Security” must be the powerful message they send to all presidential and congressional candidates before the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

To review the text of Larson’s H.R. 4583, “Social Security 2100: A Sacred Trust Act,” go to https://larson.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/larson.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/final-2023.07.11-text-of-social-security-2100-act.pdf.

To watch a video of Larson’s May press conference announcing the upcoming introduction of H.R. 4583, the Social Security 2100, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO8QYRRQ-UQ.

Here is a copy of RSC’s FY 2024 Budget, Protecting America’s Economic Security https://hern.house.gov/uploadedfiles/202306141135_fy24_rsc_budget_print_final_c.pdf.