With Republicans in charge of all three branches of Government for the first time since 2006, they are taking aim at some of the benefit programs that Americans hold near and dear to their hearts, like Social Security. The new Republican plan would gut Social Security reducing benefit payouts by an astounding $13.4 Trillion in benefit cuts.

The plan, which was proposed by Republican Congressman Sam Johnson (R-TX), was introduced late last Thursday as the Congress was leaving for the holidays. Johnson chairs the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security. In his bill he proposes raising the retirement age and cutting benefits by 1/3. This is all in an effort to “preserve” Social Security. To Republicans this sounds like a great plan, people are living longer, their 401ks are going to do “great” under Trump, and they won’t have to face Seniors upset with Social Security going bankrupt. All of this is done without adding a single dime of new revenue. Of course, the devil is in the details.

According to the Social Security Office of the Actuary, the plan would cut $2 Trillion dollars from the fund thanks to the elimination of income taxes on benefits of affluent retirees. It would also decrease payouts by $13.9 Trillion by reducing cost of living increases and raising the retirement age. This would mean that your payout will be 33% lower. If Congress did nothing to sure up Social Security, Seniors would only see a 24% decrease Seniors are already begging Congress to approve higher cost of living increases since Social Security is not keeping up with the rising prices of goods, so reducing these increases will be a disaster for seniors. Social Security was created to give Seniors a dignified retirement, but this plan won’t do that. Additionally, Social Security is not a benefit that is paid out from the Governments pocketbook. Every worker pays into the fund making it a benefit that we pay for and earn. This plan would literally steal the money that seniors have paid over their 40+ years of work.

This plan would also increase the retirement age from 67 to 69. While it is true that Americans are living longer, and the average lifespan in the USA is 78 years, not everyone can work until they are 69. For many blue collar workers, they are faced with the prospect of their bodies breaking down in their early 60’s but being forced to work for nearly a decade more. So much for a dignified retirement for these workers.

Currently it is unclear how far this plan will go in the Congress. On the campaign trail, Trump promised not to cut benefits, but he has been flip flopping on a lot of issues, especially if it means more money in the pockets of his billionaire friends. Since Social Security was first instituted in 1935, Republicans have attacked it and proposed various plans to cut benefits, privatize it and borrow money from it. Now it looks like Trump is set for a showdown with his own party over whether he will keep his commitment to our current and future Senior Citizens or whether he will throw them under the bus.