July 21, 2015 House Democrats are deploying their countermeasure in the upcoming fight with Republicans over Social Security.
Democratic Rep. Xavier Becerra, chairman of the Democratic Caucus and ranking member of the Ways and Means subcommittee on Social Security, will introduce a bill Wednesday that combines the program’s retirement and disability funds, National Journal has learned.
The bill isn’t going anywhere in the Republican-controlled House. But it will give Democrats an alternative to tout as they try to thwart the GOP’s plans for Social Security.
Capitol Hill is set up for a fight over the program in the next year. The disability-insurance program, which covers more than 10 million Americans, will be unable to pay full benefits starting in late 2016. If Congress does nothing, those recipients would face a 20 percent cut in benefits.