I have a bone to pick with these politicians who want to increase social security benefits and give people tax cuts at the same time. Social Security is deep in debt to the US government, who has spent most of the "trust" backing the benefits. What it means is that SS is paid out of direct taxation instead of the asset portfolio which it should have. It was an easy source of money to spend without additional taxation, which is a great career move for people like Rep. Eshoo, though to be fair, I have no idea how many bills she sponsored which pilfered the SS fund, that began before her tenure.

I won't cite too many numbers here, since future projections are open to interpretation, and people all have their favorite economists to fabricate numbers, but do some internet searches for "social security unfunded liabilities". These are the projected payouts that SS must make to retirees for which it currently doesn't have anything in the "trust", meaning it must tax directly to pay these benefits, or default on them. If you listen to social security doves, who claim everything is ok, you still come up with something over $10 trillion in unfunded liabilities. If you listen to the extreme other side, it's approaching $100 trillion. The truth is somewhere in the middle, likely closer to $10T than $100T. Anyhow, in order to pay current benefits, this is the additional money we need to pay as tax payers. The earlier we are taxed and the money is deposited in a trust which has compound growth, the less the unfunded liability over time, but also, no politician wants to raise taxes right now to pay for benefits in the future, it's career suicide.

So, they promise more benefits, fewer taxes - the ostrich approach. Stick your head in the sand and pretend there is no problem. Shame on you Rep. Eshoo.

So you don't believe seniors should ever get a tax break or ever get a SS increase? The article didn't say that the bill would reduce everyone's taxes; only seniors. Believe me, the seniors I know could use and increase and a tax break. Their costs go up every year, but their SS minute yearly increases don't come close to helping with the increased costs of prescriptions, medical care, food, etc. Why do you think so many of them are in such dire straights? They worked all their lives and paid into the system for many years. Don't you think they deserve a break now, in the twilight of their lives? I say make their remaining years as easy as we can. We owe it to them; they are our parents and grandparents.