Advocates Rally To Protect Benefits As Supercommittee Deadline Approaches

By Janie Amaya

During a briefing on Capitol Hill Friday, Social Security advocates argued that Social Security should not be part of the deficit reduction discussion amongst the members of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, also known as the Super Committee. 

Expressing urgency to stray away from the idea, Max Richtman, President and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare Foundation, said Social Security has a long-range problem that deserves attention but doesn’t have to be fixed until 2036.

“The trustees tell us [Social Security] is sound and able to pay everybody, every penny they are entitled to until the year 2036, and after that there will be a shortfall of about 22 percent,” Richtman said. “This doesn’t have to be fixed by Thanksgiving.”

The supercommittee is required to have a proposal to save $1.2 trillion over the next decade by November 23rd. If it fails to move forward, automatic cuts will be made across the U.S. government.

Joining Richtman were representatives from the Hispanic advocacy group the National Council of La Raza and the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center whom also spoke about the danger of cutting these programs for Americans who are not employed by pension-granting employers.