How Much Social Security Money Has Congress Received?

Many people are discussing whether the current projections, which indicate that the outflow of payments will surpass the inflow of tax revenues for funding the social security program by 2034, are due to the spending policies of the Federal government. To maintain the fund’s solvency, it may be necessary to decrease benefit checks by up to 21%. However, this number could increase if inflation spirals out of control or tax revenue decreases further, reducing the available cash.

It may come as a surprise to many people, but the inner workings of Social Security are not widely understood. Contrary to popular belief, there is no reserve of cash sitting in a bank account ready to be dispersed as monthly benefit checks. The truth is that Congress, who are responsible for overseeing retirement finances, have been diverting Social Security taxes to fund other areas of the government. This is simply because the money is readily available and accessible.

The Social Security fund is owed a significant amount of money, approximately $2.9 trillion, which the government has used and failed to repay. This money is held in a specialized bond that, according to law, can only be used to return the funds back to the Social Security fund. However, instead of cashing in the bonds, the government chose to borrow the money and has made promises to pay it back. Despite their thrifty reputation, the government has yet to fulfill this promise.

Not a permanent fix

Putting back the $2.9 trillion into the fund could effectively resolve the issue for the next 5 to 10 years. Furthermore, with the decreasing number of beneficiaries as the Baby Boomer generation gradually passes away, this extension could be further prolonged. However, the main concern is whether Congress can restore the funds without adversely affecting the national budget.

According to most experts, using Social Security funds to address budget shortfalls is akin to robbing Peter to pay Paul. In reality, the program has taken on a resemblance to a state lottery or casino, relying on participants to play in order to cover gaps in the overall budget resulting from overspending, rather than funding its original purposes such as education and assistance for the elderly.

Consider this scenario: The education fund was supposed to receive an additional $4 million from state lottery revenues. However, the funds were eventually included in the annual education budget. In case the lottery sales were lower than expected, the general education allotment would be affected since there is no other source of funding available. This same issue is faced by the Social Security program, but on a much larger scale.

What about the younger generations?

Many millennials and younger generations feel disgruntled about paying their taxes as they believe they are funding the 63 million retirees, half of whom rely on their Social Security checks to cover some or all of their monthly expenses. However, upon examining the $2.9 trillion owed to the fund and acknowledging that more money is flowing into the fund than out, it becomes evident that the government’s reckless spending habits are to blame. In Washington D.C., money is the preferred drug, and whoever assumes power will inevitably indulge in it sooner or later.

So, can we do anything to slow down government spending? Despite the recent shutdown, which resulted in workers receiving back pay and keeping essential services running, overall spending remains a concern.

Those connected with government spending have their eyes fixed on the losses of research projects that will ultimately cost the government more money in the future. While the issue can be fixed tomorrow, the problem lies in the fact that tomorrow will bring a new group of politicians who may not yet be aware of the powerful impact of the drug they’ll be taking daily.

Conclusion

There is a strange debate going on in certain financial and economic circles, where individuals are claiming that the $2.9 trillion issue is not the government’s responsibility and is not a significant problem. Despite the ticking clock and the lack of a solution, everyone acknowledges that the government is in debt to the Social Security fund and borrows from it annually.

In 2034, some self-proclaimed experts might choose to ignore the problem altogether. The underlying issue, however, is the lack of comprehension among the common man, accountants, and financial advisors in the government regarding the true value of $1 trillion. Perhaps, if we were to physically represent $1 trillion in dollar bill-sized pieces of paper and deliver them to Congress, people would start to comprehend the gravity of the situation. Unfortunately, this would be a costly endeavor.