‘That is a lie’ accusation obscures bipartisan Social Safety reform talks -sources

By Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A Republican U.S. senator’s accusation on Thursday that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had lied throughout a tussle over the way forward for the Social Safety program obscured behind-the-scenes talks between the White Home and lawmakers which were underway for months, in response to sources.

The disagreement got here in a Senate Finance Committee listening to when Republican Senator Invoice Cassidy requested Yellen if Democratic President Joe Biden was conscious that Social Safety funds will run out throughout the subsequent decade except Congress shores up the favored retirement program with 66 million beneficiaries.

When Yellen responded that Biden “stands able to work” with lawmakers, Cassidy shot again, “That is a lie as a result of when a bipartisan group of senators has repeatedly requested to satisfy with him about Social (Safety) … we’ve not heard something on our requests.”

For a number of months now, Cassidy and unbiased Senator Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, have tried to handle Social Safety underfunding as roughly 10,000 child boomers retire day by day.

Inside a decade, tax revenues and a backup devoted belief fund will probably be inadequate to satisfy the payouts for what is commonly considered probably the most profitable program the federal authorities has administered since Social Safety’s inception in 1935.

Central to the Cassidy-King bipartisan effort is the doable creation of a second belief fund that for the primary time would permit cash to be invested within the inventory market, as a substitute of conventional Treasury securities that obtain decrease returns.

It will be modeled after a railroad pension fund that invests in shares.

The final week of financial institution failures and worries of a wider-ranging disaster, nevertheless, might give lawmakers second ideas about investing Social Safety funds in shares.

Cassidy and King are main a bunch of workhorse senators that embrace Republican Mike Rounds, Democrat Tim Kaine and unbiased Kyrsten Sinema.

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Whereas no conferences between the senators and Biden have been scheduled, a supply conversant in the discussions stated that White Home aides are engaged in talks with the Senate. However a formalized plan has not but been crafted to current to Biden, the supply added.

White Home officers didn’t reply to a request for remark.

“It may be powerful. I do not assume we must always sugarcoat it. However there are critical conversations within the Senate … on a bundle that may enhance Social Safety’s funds,” stated Shai Akabas, financial coverage director on the Bipartisan Coverage Heart, a centrist assume tank in Washington.

The senators’ effort shouldn’t be the one Social Safety rescue plan being devised.

Democrats in Congress may rally round a invoice that Consultant John Larson will unveil by early April, which might enhance advantages across-the-board together with different adjustments, with an emphasis on serving to these receiving the least.

“There are shut to five million Individuals who get below-poverty stage checks from Social Safety,”Larson stated. His invoice would create a brand new ground for advantages at 125% of the poverty stage, “ensuring nobody can ever retire into poverty.”

To succeed, any proposal would want the assist of Democrats, who management the Senate, and Republicans, who’ve the bulk within the Home of Representatives.

A number of Home Republicans have been pushing for an out of doors fee to advocate reforms beneath a fast-track approval course of, very like one which was a part of a profitable effort in 1983.

“If somebody’s acquired a greater concept that they’ll go, that is nice. I are typically conservative and say this labored as soon as, let’s attempt that once more,” Republican Consultant Tom Cole instructed Reuters.

“That is actually only a option to have (profit) cuts with out leaving your fingerprints on it,” stated Nancy Altman, president of Social Safety Works and head of a coalition of labor unions and different liberal-leaning teams.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Enhancing by Scott Malone and Josie Kao)