{{Cquote|I propose that we commit 60 percent of the budget surplus for the next 15 years to Social Security, investing a small portion in the [[private sector]], just as any private or State Government pension would do.<ref>[http://www.c-span.org/Transcripts/SOTU-1999.aspx President Bill Clinotn's 1999 State of the Union Address,] January 19, 1999. Retrieved from C-Span.org 19 August 2010.</ref>}}
{{Cquote|I propose that we commit 60 percent of the budget surplus for the next 15 years to Social Security, investing a small portion in the [[private sector]], just as any private or State Government pension would do.<ref>[http://www.c-span.org/Transcripts/SOTU-1999.aspx President Bill Clinotn's 1999 State of the Union Address,] January 19, 1999. Retrieved from C-Span.org 19 August 2010.</ref>}}
−
In 2009 conservatives attacked the Democrats health care reform program because it involves large cut-backs to Medicare.
+
====taxing benefits====
+
+
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 imposed a 70% [[income tax]] rate on a 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 involves large cut-backs to Medicare.