Biden Administration Seems Reluctant to Deal with the Potential Social Security and Medicare Problems

WASHINGTON, DC, July 28 — There is a consensus that Social Security and Medicare are in desperate need of a fix. Yet, the new Biden administration seems oblivious to that fact and what it means for America’s growing population of senior citizens.

Perhaps President Biden has forgotten, too, that as the oldest Chief Executive this country has ever had, he might show a little more compassion for his elderly constituents, too many of whom rely on Social Security and Medicare for survival.

The administration is seeking outlandish amounts of money for a variety of pet projects dear to the hearts of the progressive socialist elements in the nation’s capital. To paraphrase the late Senator Everett Dirksen, a trillion here, a trillion there, and pretty soon, you’re talking real money. But there are barely enough dollars for the lifelines that too many older Americans rely upon.

According to the Social Security Administration:

• Among elderly Social Security beneficiaries, 50% of married couples and 70% of unmarried persons receive 50% or more of their income from Social Security.
• Among elderly Social Security beneficiaries, 21% of married couples and about 45% of unmarried persons rely on Social Security for 90% or more of their income.

Chris Jacobs is a health policy analyst for the Senate Republican Policy Committee. In a recent Opinion article published by the Daily Caller, he pointed out that, “By ignoring the crisis facing our current entitlements [Social Security and Medicare] while proposing new financial commitments, Biden will create problems for multiple generations. Thanks to inaction by this administration and congressional Democrats, today’s seniors will face an uncertain retirement.”

Some might say, “who cares!” and others might say, “so what?”

But the fact is we should all care, and we should all be concerned about “what happens.” Growing old is something each and every one of us can look forward to, some with anticipation and some with regret. However, the coronavirus pandemic has shown that Ageism may have gripped the nation, and more and more of our fellow citizens could care less.

One recent piece of research goes so far as to point out that:

“During the pandemic, public discourse that suggests older generations should sacrifice their lives in order to reduce the economic cost of COVID-19 for future generations has emerged. In this case, the ageist expression is that older lives are expendable, which is set against the benefit of reduced economic burden on younger generations. This is a stark and clear expression of age bias against older adults, and a damaging characterization of how a society feels about its older generations.”

Governor Gavin Newsom [D-CA], who is facing a recall election this fall, was taken to task when the pandemic was spreading at full steam last spring. He was “roundly criticized,” according to the Los Angeles Times, “after his administration advised hospitals to prioritize younger people with greater life expectancy for care during the coronavirus outbreak. Those guidelines were swiftly retracted.”

So, can the lack of response from the Democratic regime in Washington to the critical attention that is needed to deal with the Social Security/Medicare crisis be an extension of the increasingly hostile attitudes emerging generally as regards the elderly?

Not long ago, the Website NursingAnswers.net published a description of what Ageism is all about: “Ageism generates unnecessary fear, waste, illness, and misery; hence it has an impact on both society and culture, even though most individuals are not aware of it. Ageism and ageist attitudes are one of the factors that can contribute to elder abuse by creating a fertile environment in which the abuse can develop, leading to age discrimination, and devaluing and disempowering older people.”

It appears that disdain for the elderly motivates a growing part of the population, and it is reflected by those in power, those such as Governor Newsom and the socialist lackeys who are disrupting Congress. It’s no wonder, then, that the desperate financial needs of Social Security and Medicare are being ignored.

The promise to guarantee Social Security for all Americans must be kept, says the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC), the largest conservative alternative to the AARP. AMAC has developed and recommended to many in Congress a solution that avoids the “political third rail” those in Congress fear. In this connection, AMAC has examined the many proposed solutions presented in the recent Social Security Trustees Reports and selected the alternatives best suited to save Social Security’s retirement trust fund. These have been combined with several other recommendations in the Social Security Guarantee-Social Security Plus proposal to achieve what is the best path to long-term trust fund solvency without raising taxes.

AMAC’s proposal has three primary objectives:

1. Guarantee an increase in benefits for those with lower earnings;

2. Guarantee achieving solvency and ensure benefits continue; and

3. Provide a means for all earners to have more income available at retirement through a complementary or supplemental Social Security Plus account.

In sum, AMAC’s proposal provides solutions for Congress as it will hopefully engage prudently in addressing the guarantee of Social Security’s retirement fund without penalizing individuals, businesses, and jobs by seizing on payroll tax increases as being necessary in the absence of first evaluating the results of needed changes in the Social Security law.