The S.O.S. Act: What they’re saying

Washington, DC--U.S. Representative Reid Ribble (WI-08) led a bipartisan group of Members of Congress in introducing a balanced 75-year fix for Social Security, The S.O.S. Act, on July 13, 2016.  Here’s a look at the response:

Maya MacGuineas for The Wall Street Journal, July 14, 2016:  "Notably, Rep. Reid Ribble (R., Wis.) and the co-sponsors of the Save Our Social Security Act have put forward a serious and responsible plan to strengthen Social Security for future generations."

U.S. Chamber of Commerce, July 18, 2016: "We simply have no choice but to reform our major entitlement programs. While many in Congress would prefer to pretend these problems will all go away by themselves, some are willing to step forward with real solutions like the ‘Save Our Social Security Act’. Reps. Ribble (R-WI), Cooper (D-TN), Benishek (R-MI), Lummis (R-WY), Rigell (R-VA), and Rokita (R-IN) should be commended for their careful consideration of the problem and thoughtful proposal."

CQ News, July 20, 2016: "Bipartisan legislation that would put Social Security on sound financial footing for 75 years — in part by raising the earnings cap on the payroll tax — is gaining some traction, and sparking some fresh interest in changes in the retirement, survivors' and disability program."

Politico, July 18, 2016: "Rep. Reid Ribble's legislation to keep Social Security solvent won an influential backer Monday, as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce issued a statement applauding release of the proposal. The Wisconsin Republican's bill would raise the cap on taxable income, raise the retirement age, progressively trim benefits and use a stingier formula to calculate annual cost of living adjustments."

Phil LaRue for The Concord Coalition, July 21, 2016: "A more comprehensive approach to Social Security reform was taken in Rep. Reid Ribble’s 'Save Our Social Security Act.' The bill is the broadest legislative attempt to tackle the long-term imbalances in Social Security’s financing and benefit structures Congress has seen in years. Ribble (R-Wis.), along with colleagues from both parties, introduced the measure last week to improve the solvency of Social Security. Concord’s Executive Director Robert L. Bixby said the measure was 'distinguished by courageous common sense and the recognition that any Social Security reform will require political compromise.'"

Huffington Post, July 15, 2016: "In an unusual move, a small group of House Republicans has endorsed higher taxes as part of a bipartisan strategy to improve the long-term financing of Social Security retirement insurance.  'It’s the only bipartisan bill on Social Security reform that’s in the Congress right now,' said bill author Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.), speaking on the HuffPost Politics podcast 'So That Happened.'"

The Washington Examiner, July 13, 2016: "An outgoing conservative House Republican introduced legislation Wednesday that would reform Social Security to stabilize its finances, partly by raising tax revenue, despite Republican opposition to tax hikes. The reform plan is co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, providing an indication of a possible avenue of compromise on addressing Social Security's unsustainable finances. As such, the proposal received plaudits Wednesday from fiscal conservative groups."

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