Biden moves to shore up Social Security as Republicans eye cuts

President Joe Biden signed a bill on Jan. 5 that will increase Social Security payments for close to 3 million Americans. The move comes amid concerns that president-elect Donald Trump and House Republicans may be eyeing cuts to the popular safety net program.’

The Social Security Fairness Act passed the Senate last month with bipartisan support. It will increase retirement benefits for public employees, including teachers and police officers. Right now, Social Security payments are reduced for workers who have public pensions.

“The bill I’m signing today is about a simple proposition,” Biden said. “Americans who have worked hard all their life to earn an honest living should be able to retire with economic security and dignity.”

The signing came on the heels of Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson securing a second term as Speaker of the House of Representatives. The far-right House Freedom Caucus said their support for Johnson to be speaker was contingent on his pledge to cut federal spending and the deficit, which advocates warn is code for curtailing Social Security and Medicare.

Johnson fought to keep the Social Security Fairness Act from being voted on. In November, a bipartisan group of lawmakers used a discharge petition to bypass Johnson and bring the bill to the floor anyway. It passed 327-75 with Johnson’s support.

A Johnson spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions for this story.

Trump pledged on the campaign trail that he would not cut “one penny” from Social Security. His spokespeople have reiterated that pledge several times since Election Day.

But Trump has also created the Department of Government Efficiency, a commission tasked with identifying wasteful spending in the federal budget. The commission’s chairs, entrepreneurs Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk, pledged to slash “trillions” in spending. Economists say this would be near-impossible to accomplish without deep cuts to Social Security or Medicare.

Vice president-elect J.D. Vance has also shown a willingness to cut safety net programs.

The Social Security Fairness Act was first introduced in 2001. It became a pet project for Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown who reintroduced the legislation in 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023. The bill is the last that Brown shepherded into law. He left the Senate earlier this month after losing reelection to Republican car salesman Bernie Moreno.

“For decades I have fought to ensure that public servants get the full Social Security they have earned,” Brown wrote on social media when the Senate passed the bill in December. “Tonight, we passed the Social Security Fairness Act and finally got it done.”