Changes

In 1993 President Clinton sought to increase taxes on [[Social Security]] benefits of the elderly and disabled.<ref>http://www.house.gov/house/Contract/seniorsd.txt</ref>  The final version of the bill passed by the [[Democrat]]ically controlled Congress increased taxes on beneficiaries from the first 50% to 85%<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20040408115747/www.ssa.gov/OACT/HOP/hopi.htm</ref> of benefits (or "annuity payments" as they were originally called). [[Vice President]] [[Al Gore]] cast the deciding tie-breaker vote in the Senate to make the tax increase law.  The Clinton-Gore tax increase on Social Security benefits included 15% more of the social security benefit at the beneficiary's marginal rate. It collected some taxes on retired couple making as little as $22,000 per year.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=vLg4iJR0J9kC&pg=PA16593&lpg=PA16593&dq=Vice+President+Gore+cast+the+tie-breaking+vote%2Bsocial+security&source=bl&ots=-ImIDX6fHa&sig=ttWVUNAIVsLQoEg1ZhCntHB_02Y&hl=en&ei=dobVTMr9HoOglAe0iuX9CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBYQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Vice%20President%20Gore%20cast%20the%20tie-breaking%20vote%2Bsocial%20security&f=false Congressional Record, Comments by Rep. Christopher Cox,] July 27, 2000.</ref>  

In 1993 President Clinton sought to increase taxes on [[Social Security]] benefits of the elderly and disabled.<ref>http://www.house.gov/house/Contract/seniorsd.txt</ref>  The final version of the bill passed by the [[Democrat]]ically controlled Congress increased taxes on beneficiaries from the first 50% to 85%<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20040408115747/www.ssa.gov/OACT/HOP/hopi.htm</ref> of benefits (or "annuity payments" as they were originally called). [[Vice President]] [[Al Gore]] cast the deciding tie-breaker vote in the Senate to make the tax increase law.  The Clinton-Gore tax increase on Social Security benefits included 15% more of the social security benefit at the beneficiary's marginal rate. It collected some taxes on retired couple making as little as $22,000 per year.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=vLg4iJR0J9kC&pg=PA16593&lpg=PA16593&dq=Vice+President+Gore+cast+the+tie-breaking+vote%2Bsocial+security&source=bl&ots=-ImIDX6fHa&sig=ttWVUNAIVsLQoEg1ZhCntHB_02Y&hl=en&ei=dobVTMr9HoOglAe0iuX9CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBYQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Vice%20President%20Gore%20cast%20the%20tie-breaking%20vote%2Bsocial%20security&f=false Congressional Record, Comments by Rep. Christopher Cox,] July 27, 2000.</ref>  

In 2009 conservatives attacked the Democrats health care reform program because it reneged on promises made to Medicare beneficiaries.

In 2009, conservatives attacked the Democrats health care reform program because it reneged on promises made to Medicare beneficiaries.

 

===Social Security and African-Americans===

===Social Security and African-Americans===

[[File:National Debt Clock by Matthew Bisanz.jpg|right|thumb|450px|Each one dollar withheld from workers earnings as FICA tax is one dollar added to the [[National debt]]; due to this structural flaw by the founders of Social Security, the U.S. Public Debt can not be paid down by labor.<ref>http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/resources/faq/faq_publicdebt.htm#DebtOwner</ref>]]

[[File:National Debt Clock by Matthew Bisanz.jpg|right|thumb|450px|Each one dollar withheld from workers earnings as FICA tax is one dollar added to the [[National debt]]; due to this structural flaw by the founders of Social Security, the U.S. Public Debt can not be paid down by labor.<ref>http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/resources/faq/faq_publicdebt.htm#DebtOwner</ref>]]

Social security will face many problems in the 21st century, most notably the aging of the population in developed nations, although more problematic in Europe and especially Japan, will strain American social security budgets <ref>Will social security and Medicare remain viable as the US population is aging? (pdf) <i>Henning Bohn</i>[http://www.econ.ucsb.edu/~bohn/papers/Aging.pdf]</ref> In calendar year 2010, Social Security's outlays will exceed tax revenues (that is, the trust funds' receipts excluding interest) for the first time since the enactment of the Social Security Amendments of 1983.<ref>Congressional Budget Office, ''[http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=11943 Long-Term Projections for Social Security]'', October 2010. </ref> According to the [[Congressional Budget Office]], Social Security will exhaust its current sources of revenue completely by 2042 and will be "unable to pay full benefits without changes in law."<ref>Ibid.</ref>

Social security will face many problems in the 21st century, most notably the aging of the population in developed nations, although more problematic in Europe and especially Japan, will strain American social security budgets <ref>Will social security and Medicare remain viable as the US population is aging? (pdf) <i>Henning Bohn</i>[http://www.econ.ucsb.edu/~bohn/papers/Aging.pdf]</ref> In calendar year 2010, Social Security's outlays will exceed tax revenues (that is, the trust funds' receipts excluding interest) for the first time since the enactment of the Social Security Amendments of 1983.<ref>Congressional Budget Office, ''[http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=11943 Long-Term Projections for Social Security]'', October 2010. </ref> According to the [[Congressional Budget Office]], Social Security will exhaust its current sources of revenue completely by 2042 and will be "unable to pay full benefits without changes in law."<ref>Ibid.</ref>

==Further reading==

==Further reading==

* Glenn, Brian J. and Steven M. Teles, eds. ''Conservatism and American Political Development'' (2009), two chapters on conservatives andSocial Security issues since 1930s [http://www.amazon.com/Conservatism-American-Political-Development-Brian/dp/0195373936/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256562179&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]

* Glenn, Brian J. and Steven M. Teles, eds. ''Conservatism and American Political Development'' (2009), two chapters on conservatives andSocial Security issues since 1930s [http://www.amazon.com/Conservatism-American-Political-Development-Brian/dp/0195373936/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256562179&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]

* Shoven, John B. and George P. Shultz. ''Putting Our House in Order: A Guide to Social Security and Health Care Reform'' (2008), a conservative analysis [http://www.amazon.com/Putting-Our-House-Order-Security/dp/0393066029/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256563427&sr=1-6 excerpt and text search]

* Shoven, John B. and George P. Shultz. ''Putting Our House in Order: A Guide to Social Security and Health Care Reform'' (2008), a conservative analysis [http://www.amazon.com/Putting-Our-House-Order-Security/dp/0393066029/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256563427&sr=1-6 excerpt and text search]

==References==

==References==

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[[category:New Deal]]

[[category:New Deal]]

[[Category:Welfare State]]

[[Category:Welfare State]]