Warren, Democrats Press Trump on Possible Plans to Raise Social Security Retirement Age

Warren, Democrats Press Trump on Possible Plans to Raise Social Security Retirement Age

"Americans deserve to retire with dignity-not spend their retirement struggling to make ends meet."

Trump's Social Security head recently said raising retirement age is on the table

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) pressed President Donald Trump directly on his administration's threats to raise the Social Security retirement age, which would amount to a benefit cut for millions of Americans. The letter comes shortly after Trump's Social Security Commissioner, Frank Bisignano, signaled he would be open to raising the retirement age during a Fox Business appearance.

"If the Social Security retirement age is increased under your watch, you would be breaking your repeated promises to protect and preserve Americans' benefits," wrote the lawmakers.

Even before Bisignano's latest comments, Republican policymakers, including the authors of Project 2025, have sought to raise the retirement age. Bisignano's comments raise new concerns about whether the administration will enact these proposals, putting retirement benefits at risk.

"Commissioner Bisignano's comments-and immediate about-face-left millions of Americans alarmed and confused about the status of their Social Security benefits," wrote the senators.

The lawmakers warned that raising the retirement age would put many low and middle-income workers at risk of economic insecurity. If the retirement age is raised to 69, as some proposals have suggested, a median-age retiree turning 62 in 2034 would ultimately lose nearly $100,000 over a decade of receiving benefits.

Even worse, raising the retirement age to 69 would not change the Congressional Budget Office's projection that Social Security funds would be exhausted around 2034. The lawmakers said that actually making Social Security solvent will require the wealthy paying their fair share.

"Americans deserve to retire with dignity-not spend their retirement struggling to make ends meet," added the senators.

The senators are seeking answers by October 13th on whether the White House is seeking to raise the retirement age.

Senate Dems' Social Security War Room is a coordinated effort to fight back against the Trump administration's attack on Americans' Social Security. The War Room coordinates messaging across the Senate Democratic Caucus and external stakeholders; encourages grassroots engagement by providing opportunities for Americans to share what Social Security means to them; and educates Senate staff, the American public, and stakeholders about Republicans' agenda and their continued cuts to Americans' Social Security services and benefits.

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