In 1935, by creating Social Security (SS) the US government promised elderly and disabled Americans that they would be able to have a comfortable retirement. Thirty years later our government promised those same Americans that with Medicare they would have health care coverage.
These programs are not charity. Every working person in this country has contributed some of their earnings to SS and Medicare whenever they were employed.
The Social Security Administration has predicted that the money available for these benefits will run out in 10 years as the population ages and fewer people contribute to the fund. While President Trump promised during the 2024 campaign that he wouldn’t cut SS or Medicare benefits, we have learned that he has no problem lying to get what he wants. He has already put in place actions that could reduce the amount of funds available. For example, immigrants who enter the country illegally pay an estimated $25.7 billion in Social Security taxes each year, but they aren’t allowed to collect benefits. If those workers are deported, as Trump has planned, the funds available for to pay SS benefits could be depleted several years earlier. Co-President Elon Musk has tried to justify benefit cuts by claiming that these programs are rife with fraud.
Of course, any cuts to SS and Medicare benefits will have zero impact on Trump, Musk or their rich Republican cohorts. By suggesting cuts as a solution to dwindling funds, they have again made it clear that they really don’t care about the average, hard-working American citizen.
There is another way to increase the amount available to continue to pay these benefits. In 2025, the Social Security tax rate is 6.2% for employees and employers and the Medicare tax rate is 1.45% for both. The Social Security wage base limit is $176,100, but there is no wage base limit for Medicare. This means that 6.2% of wages up to $176,100 will be withheld from your paycheck for SS, and your employer must match that. Nothing will be withheld from any wages over $176,100. Let’s look at in concrete dollars.
A worker who earns $176,100 this year will pay $10,918 in Social Security taxes. A worker who earns $4 million will also pay $10,918 in SS taxes. But if the wage base limit was removed, the worker who earns $4 million would pay $248,000. SS and Medicare could easily stay solvent for many years, the government just needs to end the wage base limit.
People will suffer if Musk and the president follow through on their threatened cuts. Many elderly people depend on SS for their living expenses, including food, rent and medical deductibles, while disabled people and seniors, among others, depend on Medicare to provide their health care. Cutting these benefits will cause immeasurable pain to many Americans.
As we saw when Medicaid payments were interrupted for a day, making lots of noise does have an effect. Here are a few actions you can take to save SS and Medicare:
Add your representative’s and senators’ numbers to your contacts. There will be organizations that provide scripts for these calls. This is an issue that touches most Americans and will be an opportunity to make sure that Congress listens.
Share the impact that reducing benefits will have on you, your family, and your friends’ lives. Personal stories often reach people more than facts and statistics.
Stand up and be LOUD. Let your friends and neighbors (especially Trump voters) know about how dangerous these cuts will be to them! As long as people don’t pay attention Republicans will continue to pass bills that hurt their constituents.