By Mario Casillas Jr.
It has been the one governmental program that has been the target of reform for the past forty years. Elected officials who are both members of the Democratic and Republican parties have at one point in their political careers either through written legislation or through speeches on the floor of either chamber of Congress have advocated for reforming this program. This governmental program is Social Security. A social safety net program that has existed for almost a century and it is tasked with ensuring that citizens who at the end of their working life, would enjoy economic sustainability.
It is important to understand that reform does not imply making the program more efficient and sustainable. Words are refurbished in order to lessen or even conceal the true goals of the legislation. What is clear and disturbing that the examples that I provide to “reform” Social Security came from Democrats. In a twist of irony Republicans were the most reluctant to overhauling Social Security. Republican lawmakers are not suddenly advocating for Social Security as governmental program. Former Republican president George W. Bush proposed privatizing SS. Rep. Paul Ryan (R)Wisconsin was another lawmaker hell bent on drastic reductions to SS benefits.
First, I am going to decipher the word reform as it is used in the Social Security debate. Reform is simply a term used by elected officials to mask the purpose of this debate which inherently is to either cut, raise the eligibility age and/or privatizing SS. This is important because casual observers of politics will be less likely to object to hearing the word reform as opposed to hearing the word cut.
In the last Democratic Presidential Debate, Senator Bernie Sanders (I)Vermont- placed former Vice President’s Joe Biden-record on Social Security in the forefront. It was an awkward moment for Biden considering his record on advocating and proposing reforming or in this case cutting SS is public knowledge in the era of YouTube.
During the Reagan Administration there was a major shift in spending priorities at the federal level. Those priorities included reducing and/or even cutting social welfare programs and increasing defense spending. One can make the argument that increasing the defense budget was crucial amid the Cold War during the 1980’s. Here is where I make the argument that efforts to cut/reform Social Security are bipartisan. “In the midst, of the debate Biden teamed up with Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley to call for a freeze on federal spending, and insisted on including Social Security in that freeze, even as the Reagan administration fought to protect the program from cuts”1 It is important to note that the Democrat is adamant about freezing funding SS, more so than the conservative icon Ronald Reagan.
A quarter of century later as the third year of the Obama administration was in full swing. It was the summer of 2011 and there was tension in Washington as a government shutdown loomed. It was the era of the Tea Party movement and increased austerity measures. Once again as in the mid 1980’s Social Security was once again in the crosshairs. The debate around reform this time hinged on whether Congress would be able to meet its fiscal obligations. Negotiations were at a standstill, and this was to be a who blinks first ordeal. In the end it was confidence and trust in Congress and Obama that blinked first. Protection of SS was the epitome of Democrats, but there they were willing to undermine a pillar of their political ethos. For what? “Just a year into Obama’s presidency, the White House began to pivot away from fiscal stimulus and towards austerity.”2 Once again it is important to note that the Democrat was the one who placed the sword on the back SS and made it walk the plank. “And the Obama administration-rather than fight the narrative of out-of-control debt tooth and nail-chose to accommodate it.”2
This was not an endorsement of a candidate. Social Security has been up to this day one the three successful government programs. We could debate its solvency; however Social Security is an issue that forms an important component of the Democratic party’s political platform. In the historical sense I wanted to highlight past efforts in cutting Social Security, however as I created this post it was clear that efforts to “reform” it is bipartisan. More disturbing is that these efforts were made by iconic Democratic figures, Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Grim, Ryan. “Fact Check: Joe Biden has Advocated Cutting Social Security for 40 Years.” The Intercept. January 13, 2020. https://theintercept.com/2020/01/13/biden-cuts-social-security
Marans, Danie, Delaney, Arthur, Grim, Ryan. “Barack Obama Once Proposed Cutting Social Security. Here’s What Changed His Mind.” HuffPost. June 8, 2016. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/barack-obama-grand-bargain-social-security-expansion_n_5751f92de4b0eb20fa0e0142
History Lab 
Mario, this is an interesting and important topic that you have brought up. It is strange, and frankly a little irritating that this is what appears to be one of the only things receiving bipartisan support in our current political field. In a time where we have important issues such as climate change and healthcare which should be bipartisan in efforts to make positive change, it is sad to see that where the parties are agreeing is in reforming (or as you pointed out, damaging) social security, which in my opinion, is a vitally important government program that would negatively affect citizens as a whole.
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I actually never knew that Social Security has been contested so many times over the years. I would have thought that it was just something that was left alone, since it did so much for Americans especially those that were retired. The only thing that I could think of is why would they want to cut, was it really just for monetary reasons? That would explain why they would want to do it in the first place. But with it being the modern era and the one of the things that people care about is the image of other people. Would this not tarnish the political career of politicians who look to reform social security?
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I agree that Social Security has been cut and that the politicians have lied about social security reform for a long time because that’s what politicians do they lie about most everything, as his secrets have secrets. That’s why people need to understand this and want better or they will get worse than what they have been getting, oh wait thats already happened, and Obama was the President before Trump. If we never had Social Security would that change America?
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