U.S. House Democrats apparently are preparing to put the “lame” into the upcoming lame duck session with a piece of pure political pander. There is no justification for approving a $250, one-time payment to all Social Security recipients.
While those receiving Social Security point out that they haven’t had an inflation-adjusted increase since 2009, it must be noted that the last adjustment was made using record high energy prices as a basis. That created a 5.8 percent bump in benefits, an increase that even now still exceeds inflation for the last two years.
In fact, energy prices today are significantly lower than the level accounted for by the 2009 adjustment. Social Security, therefore, is paying out what recipients are owed.
Beyond basic fairness, the results of this month’s election imply that voters —including voters receiving Social Security — want Washington to cut government spending and reduce the federal deficit. It has become increasingly obvious that controlling government spending means Social Security reform. The United States can’t cut spending while handing out unjustified bonuses totaling $14 billion.
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