Estes Op-ed Celebrates 90 Years of Social Security and Explores How to Strengthen the Agency

U.S. Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas) published an op-ed in the Washington Examiner about the 90th anniversary of Social Security, implementing the Social Security Fairness Act, and how to improve this vital program.

Read the op-ed here or below.

Fixing Social Security: From Fairness Act to Faster Benefits

The United States observed the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act in August. This monumental piece of legislation has provided a supplemental income to retirees in America for decades. Millions of Americans have paid into the system their entire working lives and received the benefits they earned. As Chairman of the Social Security Subcommittee on the House Ways and Means Committee, I'm committed to protecting and strengthening one of America's most vital programs for future generations. President Donald Trump shares my commitment.

I know how Social Security has provided a lifeline of economic security to millions of hardworking retirees, disabled workers, and their families - folks in Kansas and across the nation. President Trump does too. He shared his commitment to America to continue "defending Social Security" and "taking care of our own workers, families, seniors and citizens first."

Last year, Congress passed the Social Security Fairness Act which fixes a loophole that prevented police officers, firefighters and teachers from receiving their full Social Security benefits. Earlier this year, the Trump Administration began paying Social Security beneficiaries the retroactive payments they were owed ahead of schedule, after Chairman Jason Smith (R-Missouri) and I urged the administration to implement the Social Security Fairness Act.

Furthermore, the Trump administration is making sure the Social Security Administration (SSA) is working efficiently to provide the people with the benefits they deserve. Implementing the Social Security Fairness Act was a great start.

Since then, SSA customer service assistance has increased handling calls, lowered the phone call wait time, decreased field office wait times, all while increasing scheduled appointments compared to last year under the Biden administration. There is still much work to do - as my office in Wichita continues to assist Kansans with Social Security cases - but this is moving in a positive direction.

We need to do all we can to administer Social Security benefits in the most efficient manner possible, because the program is quickly going insolvent. There are not enough workers paying into the system to support retirees.

In June, the Social Security Board of Trustees released its 2025 report, which confirmed the concern of insolvency that I've been worried about for years. Republicans and Democrats in Congress need to work together in a bipartisan manner to address these issues together for the benefit of everyone.

In September, I had the chance to meet with SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano in my district in Kansas. We toured the Social Security field office in Wichita and discussed the need for customer service improvements. We agreed there are ways for Congress and the SSA to work together to enhance services and protect benefits for Kansans and all Americans.

My colleagues and I must work together to keep the benefits efficiently and correctly disbursed and the Social Security program functional. As Chairman of the Social Security Subcommittee, I promise to keep fighting for Americans - like the ones in my district in Kansas - who rely on Social Security benefits today and in the future.