Larson: The Republican Disinformation Machine Misleads, Republicans Advance Their True Agenda to Slash Social Security

Washington, D.C - Today, House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement after Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee voted to advance $453 million in cuts to the Social Security Administration (SSA), $1.6 billion below President Biden’s budget request, endangering hard-earned benefits for millions of Americans. 

“Once again, the Republican disinformation machine has tried to mislead the American public about where they stand on Social Security, but today’s vote makes it clear they stand for advancing back door benefit cuts by slashing funding for the Social Security Administration," said Larson. “The bill they advanced today would close field offices, extend wait times, and delay claims decisions for beneficiaries. As 10,000 Baby Boomers a day become eligible for Social Security, cutting SSA’s budget will only harm our seniors, children, and veterans, making them pay the price for Republicans’ true political agenda. This year alone, Republicans have proposed $1.5 trillion in cuts to Social Security, pushed for an unaccountable and undemocratic commission to fast track cuts, and are now proposing severe cuts to the SSA budget. I will continue to work with Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro, House Democrats, and President Biden to fight these thinly veiled attempts to slash Americans’ hard-earned benefits.” 

In May, Ranking Member Larson led nearly 100 Members of Congress with Rep. Susan Wild (PA-07) in a letter to House appropriators in support of increased funding for the Social Security Administration (SSA). Last year, Larson reintroduced the Social Security 2100 Act with nearly 200 of his Democratic colleagues to extend the program’s solvency and increase benefits across-the-board by heeding President Biden’s call to ‘scrap the cap’ on income above $400,000 a year.