'Scrap the cap' to preserve Social Security | Opinion

In truth, Social Security WILL be there, for all Americans. It just needs tweaking to make sure benefits are FULLY there. Thanks to 40 years of trickle down economics, plus recent bad decisions by the current Congress and administration, the trust will fall short in the 2030s, which could trigger smaller Social Security checks. That doesn’t have to happen! We must elect congressional delegates who will act swiftly and follow 90 years of congressional precedent by strengthening Social Security.

To prevent cuts, voters need to know what needs fixing. We can’t be distracted by non-solutions that make things worse. (For example, raising the age to receive benefits, thereby cutting billions of dollars from Americans’ hard-earned retirement benefits.)

Here’s what people need to know:

● First, Social Security benefits are earned. They’re not “entitlements.” Individuals contribute over their lifetime to the fund, which then helps them as they age.

● Second, Social Security can never go broke as long as Americans are working. The Trust, which is a cushion to ensure full benefit payments, can fall short, however. This won’t happen if Congress takes action.

● Third, Congress is prohibited from accessing the Trust, which is invested in U.S. Treasury bonds, the world’s safest investment reserve. Your benefits don’t come from the federal budget; they are sequestered and protected. However, Congress can affect the solvency of the Trust.

The solution: Scrap the cap!

There’s a simple way to fix the impending shortfall without cuts to payments: Super-wealthy Americans must pay their fair share.

Right now, Americans making over $184,500/year don’t contribute to the fund on earnings above that level. This cap makes no sense. Congress needs to scrap the cap and require multi-millionaires and billionaires to contribute to the system on all of their income, earned and unearned.

If Congress does this, we’ll avoid the shortfall.

Scrapping or significantly raising the cap would secure and strengthen Social Security. A bill in the last Congress would have achieved this, but it didn’t pass.

Instead, the so-called Big Beautiful Bill further weakened the Trust and gave another $4.5 trillion in tax cuts to billionaires and corporations. Montana’s congressional delegates all voted for it. Their handpicked successors are on board to continue weakening Social Security.

For 90 years, Congress has protected our Social Security. This Congress has turned its back on it.

Our votes this fall will determine whether millions of Americans, many barely surviving in the current high-priced economy, will see big cuts in their Social Security checks.

Vote carefully!

To learn more: youtube.com/watch?v=6kdKzbIEn3A.

2026 Actuary Report: ssa.gov/oact/trsum/.