AARP Is Pushing Back on This New Social Security Bill (Here's the Part That Has Them Worried)

Congress may finally have a new plan to move Social Security reform forward, but AARP says it could come at a cost.

The organization recently urged lawmakers to rethink parts of the bipartisan PROMISE Act. While it supports efforts to strengthen Social Security's long-term finances, it says the bill could limit how Congress debates future changes, making it harder to fully protect your senior benefits. Here's what you need to know.

How the PROMISE Act would work

The PROMISE Act would not change Social Security benefits on its own. Instead, it would create a faster process for developing a long-term plan to keep the program financially stable for at least 50 years.

A four-member federal advisory board would write that plan before sending it to Congress. Lawmakers would then have a limited amount of time to review it, and if they missed certain deadlines, it could move forward with fewer opportunities for committees to review it or make changes. The final bill would still need 60 votes to pass the Senate before any tax or benefit changes could become law.

Why AARP is pushing back

AARP says the bill gives too much control to a small appointed board before elected lawmakers have fully weighed in. The organization wants Congress to take responsibility for writing any plan that could affect retirees.

The group is also worried that Congress would have too little time to review the proposal. Committees could be skipped if they miss the deadline, and lawmakers would have limited chances to change the plan once it reaches the House and Senate floors.

As Bill Sweeney, AARP's senior vice president for government affairs, put it, "If every other bill in Congress goes through regular order, why would something as important as Social Security get a special process that cuts off debate?"

AARP also questions the timing. The bill's schedule could put the final vote after the November 2026 elections, when some lawmakers would no longer be accountable to voters before making decisions that could affect Social Security's future.

What the bill's supporters say

Supporters of the PROMISE Act argue that Congress has spent years talking about Social Security's financial problems without reaching a long-term solution. With the retirement trust fund projected to run short in late 2032, they believe setting firm deadlines could finally move negotiations forward.

They also point out that the bill does not lock Congress into any particular solution. Lawmakers would still need to approve the final plan, and it would still need 60 votes to pass the Senate.

Groups including the Bipartisan Policy Center and the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget support the proposal. They say those requirements make it less likely that a plan could pass without broad support from both parties.

What AARP says it would support instead

AARP wants Congress to use its regular committee process when considering changes to Social Security. That would give the public more chances to respond and allow lawmakers more time to review the proposal before voting.

The organization has also called on Congress to protect the benefits Americans have earned. It believes elected lawmakers should write the legislation and remain responsible for the choices included in the final plan.

Why AARP points to the 1983 reforms

AARP has pointed to the 1983 Social Security reforms as an example of how Congress should handle changes to the program. Lawmakers held dozens of days of hearings and voted on more than 100 amendments before reaching a final agreement.

The law eventually raised the full retirement age and introduced changes that still affect workers and retirees today. The PROMISE Act would complete much of that work within a few months, while AARP believes decisions that could affect retirement income for decades deserve more time and review.

The kinds of changes that could come out of this process

The final proposal could draw from ideas Congress has debated for years, including:

• Raising the Social Security payroll tax rate
• Applying Social Security taxes to more earnings
• Changing how future benefits are calculated
• Increasing the full retirement age

None of those changes are included in the PROMISE Act itself. They are examples of policies the advisory board could recommend, and Congress would still have to approve any final legislation before they could become law.

What to watch if the bill moves forward

Even if Congress moves this process forward, several important questions would remain unanswered. One of the biggest is who any future changes would apply to and when they would take effect. Some proposals protect people who are already receiving Social Security while changing the rules for younger workers. Others phase in new rules gradually over time.

Those details will show whether a proposal affects the monthly check you already receive or the benefit you expect to claim in the future. The advisory board's recommendations should provide the first clearer picture of what any final plan could look like.

Bottom line

The PROMISE Act would not change your Social Security benefits right away, but it could influence how Congress handles the program's financial problems in the years ahead. AARP believes lawmakers need more time to review any plan that could affect retirees, while supporters say Congress has already waited too long.

Until the outcome is clearer, the best approach is to keep planning around the benefits available under current law and leave some room in your retirement plan for future changes.

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