Donald Trump has repeatedly pledged not to cut Social Security—a promise which his recently-released budget reveals to be a lie. Not only is Trump breaking his promise to protect Social Security by cutting its important disability protections, but he is also proposing to unnecessarily underfund the agency responsible for administering all of Social Security’s wage insurance protections.
As a new fact sheet from our organization, Social Security Works, shows, vital services that Americans rely on — and, importantly, have already paid for — are under continued threat from ongoing, harsh limitations on the operating budget of the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Republicans in Congress have allowed these budget restrictions to continue as part of their overall cuts to important government agencies and programs, despite the fact that no funds are appropriated for SSA’s budget. Instead, lawmakers have unjustifiably limited the amount of Social Security’s annual surpluses and growing reserve that can be used for SSA’s operating budget. If SSA were properly treated and accounted for, related programs, like Meals on Wheels and other government spending could be increased without adding at all to the deficit.