67-544: Bowles–Simpson Commission 2007–2008 financial crisis 2013 budget sequestration Related events In the United States , Social Security is the commonly used term for the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance ( OASDI ) program and is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The Social Security Act was passed in 1935, and the existing version of
134-404: A Tea Party supporter, stated that the proposed changes to entitlement spending should take effect sooner instead of in future decades but praised the proposal for also having "some good ideas". The Concord Coalition , a non-profit and non-partisan anti-deficit activist group, applauded the report and labeled it a "promising start." The final plan, released on December 1, 2010, aimed to reduce
201-592: A Benefits Calculators web page with several stand-alone online calculators that help individuals estimate their benefits and prepare for retirement. These include benefit calculators for spouses, calculators for persons affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision or the Government Pension Offset and calculators to determine a person's full retirement age or the effect of the earnings test on benefits. SSA also provides
268-505: A baseline called the "Plausible Baseline", which closely resembled the Congressional Budget Office's Alternative Fiscal Scenario, the plan proposed roughly $ 2 in spending cuts to $ 1 in revenue increases. The Plausible Baseline built off of a current law baseline by assuming that the 2001/2003 tax cuts were extended except for those above $ 250,000, the estate tax and Alternative Minimum Tax would continue at 2009 levels,
335-528: A bill modeled on the plan, with, according to analyst Ezra Klein , "somewhat less in tax increases," to a vote in the House where it was rejected 382 to 38. 22 Democrats and 16 Republicans supported the bill. There was mixed reaction to the plan. Some praised the recommendations of the proposal while others attacked it. One proponent, Maya MacGuineas at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said of
402-568: A deal based on the Simpson–Bowles framework. Critics on the left, such as Democratic Representative Jan Schakowsky (a Commission member) and economist Paul Krugman , opposed the Simpson–Bowles proposal because it would cut entitlement and social safety net programs, including Social Security and Medicare . Critics on the right, such as Republican commission members Paul Ryan , Jeb Hensarling , and Dave Camp , and anti-tax activist Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform , objected to
469-739: A job as this one does in getting us back on a sound fiscal course." Senator Judd Gregg , the senior Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, noted that the report was a "starting point." The proposal was dismissed as "unserious" by New York Times columnist Paul Krugman for its large cuts in income tax rates. Krugman dismissed the idea that current marginal rates are a drag on economic growth. Further, he doubted that proposed combination of rate cuts and removal of deductions and loopholes will be revenue neutral, let alone increase revenue. Union leaders such as Richard Trumka and several Democrats Representative Raul Grijalva rejected
536-570: A liberal budget plan that would cut the deficit by $ 441 billion. Schakowsky's plan would raise revenue (by eliminating the FICA cap ; eliminating the foreign earned income exclusion , raising the taxes on capital gains , dividends, and bonds, and establishing a cap-and-trade system taxing corporate carbon emissions ); cut defense spending by $ 110 billion and non-defense spending by $ 33 billion; and spend $ 200 billion on infrastructure and other measures aimed at boosting economic growth. Dean Baker of
603-462: A life expectancy calculator to help with retirement planning. If a person first claims a retirement benefit at the full retirement age (FRA), the individual will receive a monthly benefit amount equal to 100 percent of the individual's primary insurance amount (PIA). If first claimed before the FRA, the monthly benefit amount is smaller than 100 percent of PIA and if claimed after the FRA the monthly amount
670-452: A reduced monthly benefit amount and a worker who claims at an age after the full retirement age (up to age 70) receives an increased monthly amount. The 90, 32, and 15 percent factors in the PIA computation lead to higher replacement rates for persons with lower career earnings. For example, a retired individual whose average earnings are below the first bend point can receive a monthly benefit at
737-480: A replacement Social Security card or check the status of an application. A printed copy of the Social Security Statement is mailed to workers age 60 or older. In 2021, SSA began producing Retirement Ready fact sheets, available online and as part of the online Statement, that tailor retirement planning information to different age groups (young, middle age, and older workers). SSA also has
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#1732772647501804-402: A supermajority during voting on December 3, with 11 of 18 votes in favor. Voting for the report were Bowles , Coburn , Conrad , Crapo , Cote , Durbin , Fudge , Gregg , Rivlin , Simpson , and Spratt . Voting against were Baucus , Becerra , Camp , Hensarling , Ryan , Schakowsky , and Stern . On March 28, 2012, Representatives Jim Cooper (D-TN) and Steve LaTourette (R-OH) put
871-462: A timely basis. The amount of the monthly Social Security benefit to which a worker is entitled, currently depends upon the earnings record on which they have paid FICA or SECA taxes and upon the age at which the retiree chooses to begin receiving benefits. That said, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Flemming v. Nestor (1960) that no one has a contractual right to Social Security benefits. Medicare
938-594: A vote, has received significant attention since its inception. The National Journal noted that, "Hardly a day goes by in Congress or on the hustings without some lawmaker extolling Simpson–Bowles as the kind of potent fiscal medicine Americans must swallow if the country is to fix its debt and deficit problems, reform government and revive the economy." The Simpson–Bowles framework and its goal of $ 4 trillion of deficit reduction has been used by other, such as President Obama and Speaker Boehner in their negotiations during
1005-426: A way to avoid the fiscal cliff. Additionally, during the spring of 2012, a Budget Resolution based in part on the Simpson–Bowles plan was voted on in the House of Representatives. The plan was voted down 382–38. Simpson and Bowles have done further outreach themselves. In November, 2011, Simpson and Bowles submitted written testimony to the "supercommittee" charged with making budget adjustments by Congress, urging
1072-578: Is a separate program from Social Security, although disabled and aged (65 or older) Social Security beneficiaries qualify for Medicare. The financing for Medicare (United States) is also based on payroll taxes, trust fund reserves, and the taxation of some Social Security benefits. Workers in Social Security covered employment pay FICA ( Federal Insurance Contributions Act ) or SECA (Self Employed Contributions Act) taxes and earn quarters of coverage if earnings are above minimum amounts specified in
1139-409: Is higher than 100 percent of PIA. Sometimes the full retirement age is referred to as the normal retirement age. National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform Bowles–Simpson Commission 2007–2008 financial crisis 2013 budget sequestration Related events The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (often called Simpson–Bowles or Bowles–Simpson from
1206-480: Is important. It offers nothing on Medicare that isn't already in the Affordable Care Act . And it raises the Social Security retirement age because life expectancy has risen completely ignoring the fact that life expectancy has only gone up for the well-off and well-educated, while stagnating or even declining among the people who need the program most." Bowles-Simpson, while never officially coming to
1273-600: The Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington criticized the deficit report for omitting a tax on the financial industry, as was recommended by the International Monetary Fund . Economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman wrote, "Simpson–Bowles is terrible. It mucks around with taxes, but is obsessed with lowering marginal rates despite a complete absence of evidence that this
1340-468: The executive order that created the commission, a supermajority of 14 of the 18 commissioners had to agree to a recommendation before it was sent to Congress for a vote. In a vote in December 2010, the commission fell short of that requirement, with only 11 out of the 18 commissioners (five Republicans , five Democrats , and one independent) voting to endorse the commission's blueprint. Proponents of
1407-470: The 12 supercommittee members to "go big" toward the $ 4 trillion in savings the NCFRR had recommended v. the $ 1.2 trillion deficit reduction most discussed by the committee of congresspeople and senators . Simpson and Bowles also warned that failure to reach some agreement "might result in another downgrade ", though separately Moody's said such failure alone would not result in a change in U.S. ratings, as
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#17327726475011474-425: The 90% multiplier in the first PIA bendpoint to 40–85% depending on the number of Years of Coverage. Foreign pensions are subject to WEP. A special minimum benefit, based on an alternative PIA calculation, is available for some workers with long careers but low earnings. However, it is rarely higher than the regularly computed PIA and thus few workers qualify for the special minimum benefit. 32,000 individuals received
1541-725: The Act, as amended, encompasses several social welfare and social insurance programs. The average monthly Social Security benefit for September 2023 was $ 1,706. The total cost of the Social Security program for 2022 was $ 1.244 trillion or about 5.2 percent of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). Social Security is funded primarily through payroll taxes called the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) or Self Employed Contributions Act (SECA). Wage and salary earnings from covered employment, up to an amount determined by law (see tax rate table), are subject to
1608-614: The Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan , Senator John McCain and Democratic Minority Whip Steny Hoyer . As time has gone on, there has been increased support for the plan, including some who initially opposed it such as former union leader Andy Stern and Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi . The plan was not universally praised. Commission member Jan Schakowsky, who voted against the Bowles-Simpson plan, released an alternative plan of her own, proposing
1675-421: The House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pledged to bring its recommendations for an up or down vote. The Commission included 18 members and one executive director appointed by the president. This included six members of the U.S. House of Representatives , and six members of the U.S. Senate. The first vote on the final recommendations, originally set for December 1, 2010,
1742-464: The Medicare physicians pay freeze would continue and war spending would decrease based on current administration policy. The final plan was broken down into six major components (savings are 2012–2020): The plan also proposed an additional $ 673 billion in savings, due to lower projected spending interest payments as a result from lower deficits. The plan, released on December 1, 2010, fell short of
1809-431: The PIA. Once the PIA is computed, it is indexed for price inflation over time. Thus, Social Security monthly benefit amounts retain their purchasing power throughout a person's retirement years. A worker who first starts receiving a retirement benefit at the full retirement age receives a monthly benefit amount equal to 100 percent of the PIA. A worker who claims the retirement benefit before the full retirement age receives
1876-562: The PIAs of a spouse or a deceased spouse. Aged spouse and divorced spouse beneficiaries can receive up to 50 percent of the PIA. Survivor benefit rates are higher and aged widow(er)s and aged surviving divorced spouses can receive 100 percent of the PIA. Federal, state and local employees who have elected (when they could) NOT to pay FICA taxes are eligible for a reduced FICA benefits and full Medicare coverage if they have more than forty quarters of qualifying Social Security covered work. To minimize
1943-612: The Penn Wharton Budget Model (University of Pennsylvania) projected depletion in 2032–2034, depending on the shape of the economic recovery in the U.S. following the COVID-19 pandemic. With regard to actuarial balance, the Social Security Trustees estimate a 75-year actuarial deficit of 3.61 percent of payroll. This is approximately the total payroll tax increase that would be necessary to keep
2010-537: The Simpson-Bowles proposal because it would raise taxes. The original proposal for a commission came from bipartisan legislation that would have required Congress to vote on its recommendations as presented, without any amendment. In January 2010, that bill failed in the Senate by a vote of 53–46, when six Republicans who had co-sponsored it nevertheless voted against it. Thereafter, President Obama established
2077-1041: The Social Security Act are: The SSA administers two of these programs (OASDI and SSI). The Social Security program in the United States pays benefits to three broad categories of individuals: retired individuals and some family members, disabled persons and some family members, and survivors. Within these broad categories, the program defines more specific types of beneficiaries. For example, spouses and divorced spouses are distinct categories, with somewhat different eligibility requirements. Survivor benefits include several categories including aged widow(er)s, aged surviving divorced spouses, disabled widow(er)s, disabled surviving divorced spouses, paternal and maternal orphans, and widow(er)s caring for minor or disabled children. As of 2023, there were about 66.8 million individuals receiving Social Security benefits. Individuals receiving Retirement Insurance Benefits constitute
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2144-425: The Social Security Statement. The Statement can be accessed online by opening an online account with SSA called my Social Security . With that account, workers can also construct "what if" scenarios, helping them to understand the effect on monthly benefits if they work additional years or delay the start of retirement benefits. The my Social Security account also offers other services, allowing individuals to request
2211-421: The Social Security payments to those who have not contributed to FICA for 35+ years and are eligible for federal, state and local benefits, which are usually more generous, the U.S. Congress passed the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). The WEP provision does not eliminate all Social Security or Medicare eligibility if the worker has 40 quarters of qualifying income, but calculates the benefit payments by reducing
2278-494: The Social Security payroll tax. Wage and salary earnings above this amount are not taxed. In 2024, the maximum amount of taxable earnings is $ 168,600. Social Security is nearly universal, with 94 percent of individuals in paid employment in the United States working in covered employment. However, about 6.6 million state and local government workers in the United States, or 28 percent of all state and local workers, are not covered by Social Security but rather pension plans operated at
2345-473: The Social Security program began, during President Franklin D. Roosevelt's first term, as a measure to implement " social insurance " during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Act was an attempt to limit unforeseen and unprepared-for dangers in modern life, including old age, disability, poverty, unemployment, and the burdens of widow(er)s with and without children. Opponents, however, decried
2412-497: The combined programs together (OASI and DI) and focus on key measures such as trust fund depletion date, actuarial balance over a 75-year period, and comparisons of program costs to U.S. GDP. Regarding trust fund depletion, the Social Security Trustees in 2024, based on technical work by the Social Security Administration's actuaries, project the combined OASDI trust fund will be depleted in 2035. In 2021,
2479-437: The commission by Executive Order 13531 . Former Republican Senator Alan Simpson (Wyo.), after his appointment to co-chair the commission, criticized the former supporters who had voted against the bill, saying that their purpose "was to stick it to the president." In the absence of special legislation, the commission's proposals are not guaranteed to be considered by Congress in a single up-or-down vote, although then-Speaker of
2546-606: The current fiscal situation such as the fiscal cliff at the end of 2012 and are widely quoted in the press on fiscal issues. In addition, Simpson and Bowles have helped form two organizations that are working in part for their plan—the Moment of Truth Project and the Campaign to Fix the Debt. Finally, some aspects of the Simpson–Bowles plan have become law. The Budget Control Act of 2011 included discretionary spending caps, albeit at
2613-502: The deficit by $ 4 trillion, reformed Social Security and the tax code and included health-care savings and an illustrative savings of $ 200 billion of discretionary cuts. After the chairmen's briefing to the commission members, two Democratic Party members, Senator Durbin and Representative Schakowsky, publicly criticized the plan. Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND), however, declined to criticize the proposal, saying "[i]nstead of shooting this down propose an alternative. But one that does as good
2680-501: The eve of the first Commission meeting. Simpson's latter appearance, particularly as it bore on entitlements , attracted comment from the Columbia Journalism Review and James Ridgeway , among others. On November 10, co-chairs Simpson and Bowles released a draft proposal for consideration by other commission members providing the basis for the final report to be released later. The co-chairs proposal reduced
2747-400: The federal deficit by nearly $ 4 trillion, stabilizing the growth of debt held by the public by 2014, reduce debt 60 percent by 2023 and 40 percent by 2035. Outlays would equal 21.6 percent of GDP in 2015, compared to 23.8 percent in 2010 and would fall to 21.0 percent by 2035. Revenues would rise from 14.9 percent in 2010 to 19.3 percent in 2015 and would equal 21.0 percent in 2035. Built off
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2814-423: The first $ 1,174 of average indexed monthly earnings, plus (b) 32 percent of average indexed monthly earnings between $ 1,174 and $ 7,078, plus (c) 15 percent of average indexed monthly earnings over $ 7,078 For workers who turn 62 in the future, the 90, 32, and 15 percent factors in the computation formula will remain the same but the dollar amounts in the formula (called bend points) will increase by wage growth in
2881-520: The full retirement age that equals 90 percent of the person's average monthly earnings before retirement. The table shows replacement rates for workers who turned 62 in 2013. The PIA computation formula for disabled workers parallels that for retired workers except the AIME is based on fewer years to reflect disablement before age 62. The monthly benefit amount of a disabled worker is 100 percent of PIA. Benefits for spouses, children, and widow(er)s depend on
2948-782: The full spouse benefit for which they qualify. In addition, Social Security beneficiaries with low income and limited resources may qualify for additional income through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. SSI is separate from the Social Security program, but it is administered by SSA. In 2022, 2.5 million Social Security beneficiaries received additional income through SSI. Social Security payments to beneficiaries, which totaled $ 1.23 trillion in 2022, are generally financed by payroll taxes on workers in Social Security covered employment, trust fund reserves, and income taxation of some Social Security benefits. The payroll tax rate totals 12.4 percent of earnings up to
3015-519: The large baby-boom generation however, is lowering balances. Without legislative changes, trust fund reserves are projected to be depleted in 2033 for the OASI fund. Should depletion occur, incoming payroll tax and other revenue would be sufficient to pay 77 percent of OASI benefits starting in 2035. With few exceptions, all legal residents working in the United States have an individual Social Security Number . Social Security timeline A limited form of
3082-494: The largest group of beneficiaries, with 52.4 million retired workers or family members receiving monthly payments. Social Security Disability Insurance benefits were paid to 7.4 million disabled workers and 1.2 million dependents (children and spouses). About 5.8 million individuals, including 2 million children, received some type of survivor benefit from Social Security. Some individuals qualify for more than one type of benefit, but program rules on dual entitlement generally prevent
3149-426: The law. Workers with 40 quarters of coverage (QC) are "fully insured" and eligible for retirement benefits. Retirement benefit amounts depend upon the average of the person's highest 35 years of "adjusted [for inflation]" or "indexed [for inflation]" earnings. A person's payroll-taxable earnings from earlier years are adjusted for economy-wide wage growth, using the national average wage index (AWI), and then averaged. If
3216-447: The names of co-chairs Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles ; or NCFRR ) was a bipartisan Presidential Commission on deficit reduction, created in 2010 by President Barack Obama to identify "policies to improve the fiscal situation in the medium term and to achieve fiscal sustainability over the long run". The 18-member Commission, consisting of 12 members of Congress and six private citizens, first met on April 27, 2010. A report
3283-469: The national economy, as measured by the AWI. Because the AIME and the PIA calculation incorporate the AWI, Social Security benefits are said to be wage indexed. Because wages typically grow faster than prices, the PIAs for workers turning 62 in the future will tend to be higher in real terms but similar relative to average earnings in the economy at the time age 62 is attained. Monthly benefit amounts are based on
3350-690: The near-term." The chairmen's proposal was also criticized by conservative interest groups such as defense contractors, for cutting spending on defense , and Americans for Tax Reform , a group opposed to both increases in marginal rates and overall Federal revenue. The proposal was better received by the Democrat-affiliated think tank Third Way , the Progressive Policy Institute, Representative Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and Harvard economist Greg Mankiw . Senator-elect Rand Paul (R-KY),
3417-468: The past, legislation has been enacted to prevent trust fund depletion. Should the trust funds be depleted, Social Security would still have revenue coming into the system from payroll taxes. The Social Security trustees estimate that revenue would be sufficient to pay 77 percent of the program's benefits. There has been debate about a trust fund depletion scenario regarding whether monthly benefits would be lowered or whether full amounts would be paid but not on
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#17327726475013484-422: The payment of two full benefits. For example, a person eligible for a retirement benefit and a higher spouse benefit will receive the full retirement benefit and a partial spouse benefit. The dual entitlement rules disproportionately affect women (7 million women in 2022) because historically they have earned less than current or former husbands and this leads to retirement benefits for women that are often lower than
3551-424: The plan praised it for hitting all parts of the federal budget and for putting the national debt on a stable and then downward path. Prominent supporters include JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (although at first she opposed the proposal), then- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , and Republican Senator Tom Coburn ; Democratic Representative Chris Van Hollen has called for
3618-429: The plan saying it cut spending, especially on Social Security, too much. The Economic Policy Institute calculated that the proposed spending cuts would reduce payroll employment by roughly 1.9 million jobs by 2014, and that the resulting loss in the government's tax revenues would cut the proposal's deficit-reducing effect in half. The institute called instead for "budgeting for more desperately needed fiscal stimulus in
3685-495: The plan, "the Commission released not only a credible plan, but an excellent plan. Of course it is filled with things people don't like—that is the nature of deficit reduction. And yet the plan received bipartisan support from a majority of the Commission at a time where, up until now, fiscal leadership has been in short supply" Other prominent supporters of the plan include New York mayor Michael Bloomberg , former Chairmen of
3752-589: The poor, dependent children, spouses, survivors and the disabled. Poor farms were common in the US before Social Security took effect, then most disappeared by about 1950. By 1950, debates moved away from which occupational groups should be included to get enough taxpayers to fund Social Security to how to provide more benefits. Changes in Social Security have reflected a balance between promoting "equality" and efforts to provide "adequate" and affordable protection for low wage workers. The larger and better known programs under
3819-407: The proposal as socialism. Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins wrote that during a Senate Finance Committee hearing, Senator Thomas Gore (D-OK) asked "Isn't this Socialism?" She replied that it was not, but he continued, "Isn't this a teeny-weeny bit of Socialism?" The provisions of Social Security have been changing since the 1930s, shifting in response to economic worries as well as coverage for
3886-403: The special minimum benefit in 2019. The benefits someone is eligible for are potentially so complicated that potential retirees should consult the Social Security Administration directly for advice. Many questions are addressed and at least partially answered on many online publications and online calculators. The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides benefit estimates to workers through
3953-495: The state or local level. Social Security payroll taxes are collected by the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and are formally entrusted to the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund and the federal Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund, the two Social Security Trust Funds . Social Security revenues exceeded expenditures between 1983 and 2009 which increased trust fund balances. The retirement of
4020-471: The summer of 2011. A Senate "Gang of Six", with Senators Mark Warner, Kent Conrad, Richard Durbin, Tom Coburn, Mike Crapo and Saxby Chambliss , was formed attempting to forge a consensus on deficit reduction. Later, Senators Mike Bennett and Mike Johans. The Gang of 6 released their plan during the summer of 2011, during the Debt Ceiling negotiations, but since then has continued to work on ways to forge
4087-466: The system solvent for 75 years. The figure is designed to illustrate the size of the deficit. Legislation could close the deficit in ways other than raising the payroll tax rate. Because taxable earnings are a fraction of GDP, sometimes the system's finances are put into context by using GDP. Social Security's cost are currently 5.2 percent of U.S. GDP. Program costs will rise to 6.3 percent of GDP by 2076, and then decline to 6.0 percent of GDP by 2097. In
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#17327726475014154-701: The taxable maximum (the rate is 6.2 percent from workers and 6.2 percent from employers and 12.4 percent from the self-employed). The OASI Trust Fund and the DI Trust Fund are legally separate. For employees and employers combined, the OASI payroll taxes are 10.6 percent and the DI payroll taxes are 1.8 percent. In 2022, trust fund reserves for the OASI and DI programs were $ 2.7 trillion and $ 118 billion, respectively. Income taxation of some Social Security benefits brought in $ 47.1 billion for OASI and $ 1.6 billion for DI in 2022. Assessments of system financing often focus on
4221-427: The time of the commission, the co-chairs spent time holding public hearings and appearing on various media outlets. There were six public meetings of testimony and deliberation of the commission, with numerous private ones. In April 2010, Al Simpson was interviewed by Neil Cavuto on Fox News , covering tax-vs-spending balance in the commission's work. Simpson and Bowles were also interviewed by Chris Wallace on
4288-438: The trigger would still result in $ 1.2 trillion in cuts. In that regard, Simpson and Bowles stated, "the only thing worse than failure by the committee to agree on savings would be removing the 'sequester' [or 'trigger' ] mechanism for automatic cuts". Bowles said in verbal testimony that "[c]ollectively, I'm worried you're going to fail". Both Simpson and Bowles have appeared on numerous media outlets discussing their plan and
4355-526: The worker has fewer than 35 years of covered earnings, these non-contributory years are assigned zero earnings. The sum of the highest 35 years of adjusted or indexed earnings divided by 420 (35 years times 12 months per year) produces a person's Average Indexed Monthly Earnings or AIME. The AIME is then used to calculate the Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). For workers who turn 62 in 2024, the PIA computation formula is: (a) 90 percent of
4422-447: Was delayed until December 3 when the commission fell short of the supermajority of 14 of 18 votes needed to approve the report. The eleven voting for it were five Democrats (Bowles, Conrad, Durbin, Rivlin, Spratt) and five Republicans (Coburn, Cote, Crapo, Gregg, Simpson) and one Independent (Fudge); the seven voting against it were four Democrats (Baucus, Becerra, Schakowsky, Stern) and three Republicans (Camp, Hensarling, Ryan). During
4489-469: Was released on December 1, recommending a combination of spending cuts (including an increase in the Social Security retirement age and cuts to military, benefit, and domestic spending) and tax increases (including restricting or eliminating certain tax credits and deductions and increasing the federal gasoline tax ). The commission's recommendations were politically controversial. Under
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