The Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank that has produced the ‘Project 2025’ plan to put into effect if the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, is reelected, announced Tuesday that “the Social Security retirement age should be raised,” and put the onus on Congress by adding: “If Congress does nothing, benefits will be cut by 21% across the board beginning in 2033.”
Heritage suggests that “policymakers should gradually increase the normal retirement age from 67 to 69 or 70—moving the age up by one or two months per year—and index it to life expectancy.”
One of those policymakers, U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA), responded to Heritage’s announcement: “There you have it. If Donald Trump is president say GOODBYE to your social security and plan to work into your 70s. This is their plan.”
#BREAKING There you have it. If Donald Trump is president say GOODBYE to your social security and plan to work into your 70s. This is their plan. https://t.co/1czuTDb1ek
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) June 19, 2024
Note: In May, President Joe Biden said in a statement: “As long as I am President, I will keep strengthening Social Security and Medicare and protecting them from Republicans’ attempts to cut benefits Americans have earned.”
Biden added: “Republicans in Congress have a very different vision. Their budget sides with the wealthy and special interests to cut Social Security by over $1.5 trillion, increase the retirement age, raise prescription drug costs, and transition Medicare to a system that would raise premiums for many seniors.”
Here is Mike Johnson calling to cut Social Security and Medicare: “We’ve got to think about long-term reforms to those programs” pic.twitter.com/g2I9WbqbmQ
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) June 11, 2024
Heritage contends: “Raising taxes only on the wealthy would require a top combined federal and state income tax rate of 66 percent.”