A group of Senate Democrats slammed President Trump’s Social Security chief after he walked back comments made about possibly raising the country’s retirement age, seeking insight into the administration’s position in a Tuesday letter to the White House.
“If the Social Security retirement age is increased under your watch, you would be breaking your repeated promises to protect and preserve Americans’ benefits,” the lawmakers wrote.
In the letter, first obtained by The Hill, Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Jacky Rosen (Nev.), Chris Van Hollen (Md.), Tammy Duckworth (Ill.) and Tammy Baldwin (Wis.) pressed the White House to clarify the administration’s position on program benefits.
Earlier this month, Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Frank Bisignano walked back a remark stating he’d consider raising the age for full federal retirement benefits.
“I think everything’s being considered and will be considered,” he said during a Fox Business interview about the age requirement, which is currently 67.
Later, on social media, Bisignano retreated and wrote that the administration is “not considering” any changes to Social Security.
“Following Commissioner Bisignano’s comments, Americans deserve clarity over what will happen to their hard-earned retirement benefits,” the senators wrote Tuesday.
The White House on Tuesday stated any changes to the requirements are “not being considered by the Trump Administration.”
“President Trump will always protect and strengthen Social Security, which is why he signed historic legislation removing taxes on Social Security benefits for nearly all beneficiaries,” White House spokesperson Liz Huston told The Hill.
SSA provided the same statement posted to social media after the commissioner’s Fox interview to The Hill on Tuesday.
The Democrats, on Tuesday, also asked the White House to commit to vetoing any legislation passed to raise the age of eligibility for Social Security and to divulge whether officials have discussed changing the requirement, among other topics.
“Americans deserve to retire with dignity—not spend their retirement struggling to make ends meet,” the letter adds.
Any changes to Social Security, such as the retirement age, require congressional approval.
This summer, a bipartisan group of senators proposed setting aside $1.5 trillion for an investment fund to ensure the flow of future benefits, while others have suggested raising the retirement age as a way to cut benefits.
But some, including former SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley, have warned against such proposals.
“[Americans] want their government to strengthen [Social Security] and expand it — not to cut it, contract it or gut its customer service,” O’Malley said last year.
“For those who would advocate raising the age, I think we have to be mindful of people who do hard work their whole lives, and die sooner,” he said.
Trump previously suggested potential cuts to Social Security on the 2024 campaign trial.
The Democrats on Tuesday urged the administration to forgo any cuts, noting that it would have the largest impact on low- to middle-class retirees.
“Social Security is low- and middle-income older Americans’ lifeline during retirement,” they wrote. “If you raise the retirement age, you will be cutting these critical benefits.”