Husted’s budget plan would force deep cuts to Social Security and Medicare

Jon Husted ended his first year in the U.S. Senate by proposing a constitutional amendment to balance the federal budget, a plan that would likely lead to massive cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

Husted introduced the amendment in November 2025 alongside Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis and Texas Rep. Nathaniel Moran. The amendment would compel Congress to balance federal spending and revenue within 10 years of ratification.

“I’m introducing this amendment to restore fiscal responsibility in Washington, calm inflation, and require Congress to rein in spending in a principled way,” Husted said in a press release.

Husted later said in a radio interview that his plan was better than “taxing the rich” and was the “only way” to lower the national debt.

A 2018 analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, however, says such a plan would imperil a key funding mechanism for Social Security, Medicare, and other safety net programs.

Social Security and Medicare are primarily funded through payroll taxes. Those funds are held by the U.S. Treasury and disbursed to beneficiaries. Any surplus funds are invested in special Treasury bonds that are drawn on when tax revenues fall short.

A balanced-budget amendment would essentially make it illegal for the federal government to spend more in a given year than it collects in revenue. That means if tax revenues are insufficient to fund Social Security and Medicare, the government would be prohibited from drawing on the bonds to make up the shortfall. This would inevitably result in a cut to services.

The AARP, an advocacy group for Americans aged 50 and older, warned in a 2019 letter that a balanced-budget amendment would be “devastating for millions.”

“A balanced-budget amendment would likely harm Social Security and Medicare, subjecting both programs to potentially deep cuts without regard to the impact on the health and financial security of individuals,” the letter said.

The group also noted the detrimental effect the amendment would have on the 11 million disabled Americans who rely on Social Security as well.

The Center for American Progress reported in 2018 that a balanced-budget amendment would likely lead to a $308 billion Social Security cut within five years. In the same period, Medicare would be cut by $239 billion and Medicaid by $114 billion.

Husted is running for his first full term in the Senate this year. His Democratic challenger is former Sen. Sherrod Brown.

In 2024, Brown sponsored the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act, which increased Social Security benefits for public servants, including teachers and police officers.