Rep. Molinaro backs commission that critics warn could slash Social Security

U.S. House Rep. Marc Molinaro has pledged to protect Social Security if elected to a second term, but in office he advocated for a Social Security commission that advocates warn could jeopardize the program.

Molinaro, a Republican, was elected to represent New York’s 19th district in 2022. He will face Democrat Josh Riley this November in what is expected to be a competitive race.

Currently, 67 million people depend on Social Security benefits. Approximately 4 million of those individuals live in New York state. A 2023 AP-NORC poll found that 79% of Americans oppose making any cuts to Social Security at all.

The last time a Social Security commission was convened was in 1981 under President Ronald Regan. The commission’s findings led to multiple Social Security reforms including raising the retirement age, increasing payroll taxes, and taxing Social Security benefits as income.

Molinaro called for creating a new commission during a July 2023 town hall event in Saugerties, NY. In his remarks, Molinaro conceded that such a commission would likely reach unpopular conclusions.

“I believe that a commission of that sort would come to an agreement that would likely encompass certain things that I don’t necessarily like but would have to support,” Molinaro said.

At the same event, Molinaro was asked if he would support raising the Social Security eligibility age from 65 to 70. He refused to answer. Molinaro’s refusal prompted 150 of his constituents to send a letter to his office voicing their opposition to Social Security cuts.

Approximately 65% of Social Security recipients are under 70 years old.

This was not the first time Molinaro called for a new Social Security commission. In April, he told WSKG news that a bipartisan, bicameral commission should be convened to evaluate the long term solvency of both Social Security and Medicare. Molinaro stressed that would “not support diminishing or undermining Medicare or Social Security” but refused to provide specifics about what he would support. 

“What I’m not doing now is embracing any specific solution, or proposal, I want to see it in the context of that negotiation,” Molinaro said in response to a question about raising the retirement age.

In April 2023, former Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin wrote an op-ed in which he warned about the risks of a Social Security commission. Harkin currently chairs the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare.

“Every few decades, Congress turns to an appointed commission to scrutinize Social Security and Medicare, either in the name of debt reduction or shoring up the programs’ trust funds,” Harkin wrote.  “These commissions tend to focus on cutting benefits rather than the adequacy of benefits. Ultimately, they fail to find fair and viable improvements that protect seniors. ”

Despite Molinaro’s pledges to preserve Social Security, he has cast votes in Congress that threatened the program. In September 2023, he backed a Republican budget resolution that sought to cut funding for most government programs by 29.9%. The White House warned this would likely result in the closure of several Social Security field offices which play a key role in verifying applicant eligibility and disbursing benefits.

The resolution did not pass.

In April 2023, Molinaro voted with other Republicans to suspend the debt limit and return federal spending to 2022 levels. The plan would have imposed a 22% cut to the federal budget. While Republicans were not specific about where and how the cuts would be levied, economists said it could lead to cutting Social Security services by 18% to 51%.

The plan was not adopted.