It’s time Pennsylvania Sens. Dave McCormick and John Fetterman claim the legacy of the late Sen. John Heinz.
In 1983 Heinz , a Republican advocate for the elderly, was tapped to sit on a commission to address looming shortages in Social Security.
The Greenspan Commission did not attribute those issues to fraud or waste. Rather, Heinz, Republican Bob Dole and Democrat Tip O’Neill, then speaker of the House, looked at the nation’s demographics and the way we fund Social Security. They settled on a plan to increase the threshold for full eligibility and raise the cap on income subject to Social Security taxes.
More than four decades later, Social Security is in trouble again. Social Security Trust Fund officials said problems have been exacerbated by government spending, reduced immigration and falling birthrates.
A pricey war of choice, a proposed $1.776 billion slush fund and incredible increases in spending for ICE and detention centers are part of the picture; congressional leadership is not.
A new report warned that, by 2032, Social Security recipients could see benefits reduced by 24%. That is an average of $519 a month in Pennsylvania, where one in five residents depend on Social Security.
Where are McCormick and Fetterman?
Debra Erdley Adams
Greensburg