Congressional Research Service Reports - 177 Matching Results

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Social Security Taxes: Where Do Surplus Taxes Go and How Are They Used?

Description: The costs of the Social Security program, both its benefits and administrative expenses, are financed by a tax on wages and self-employment income. Commonly referred to as FICA and SECA taxes (because they are levied under the Federal Insurance and Self-Employment Contributions Acts), these taxes flow each day into thousands of depository accounts maintained by the government with financial institutions across the country. Along with many other forms of revenues, these Social Security taxes bec… more
Date: April 29, 1998
Creator: Koitz, David Stuart
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: Raising the Retirement Age Background and Issues

Description: The Social Security “full retirement age” — the age at which retired workers, aged spouses, or surviving aged spouses receive benefits that are not reduced for “early” retirement — will gradually rise from 65 to 67 beginning with people who attain age 62 in 2000 (i.e., those born in 1938). Early retirement benefits will still be available beginning at age 62 (age 60 for aged widows and widowers), but at lower levels. This report discusses bills introduced in the last four Congresses that would,… more
Date: June 7, 2000
Creator: Kollmann, Geoffrey
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security's Treatment Under the Federal Budget: A Summary

Description: This report discusses the treatment of Social Security in the federal budget, which has become a major fiscal policy issue. Congressional views about what to do with budget surpluses are diverse—ranging from buying down the outstanding federal debt to cutting taxes to increasing spending. However, support for the proposition of “protecting” Social Security surpluses is substantial.
Date: September 21, 2000
Creator: Koitz, David S. & Nuschler, Dawn
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: Brief Facts and Statistics

Description: This report provides brief facts and statistics about Social Security that are frequently requested by Members of Congress and their staffs. It includes information about Social Security taxes and benefits, the program’s impact on recipients’ incomes, federal tax receipts, federal spending and the economy, and administrative information.
Date: March 3, 2005
Creator: Sidor, Gary
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: The Trust Fund

Description: The Social Security program is financed primarily through taxes, which are deposited in the U.S. Treasury and credited to the Social Security trust fund. Any revenues credited to the trust fund in excess of the costs (benefit payments and administrative costs) are invested in special U.S. obligations (debt instruments of the U.S. government).
Date: August 11, 2005
Creator: Scott, Christine
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: Report of the President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security

Description: This report describes the Commission’s three reform plans. The first plan would make no other changes to the program. The second plan would slow the growth of Social Security through one major provision that would index initial benefits to prices rather than wages. The third plan would slow future program growth through a variety of measures.
Date: December 21, 2001
Creator: Nuschler, Dawn
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Reform

Description: President Bush has highlighted Social Security reform as a top priority during his second term. The President has not presented a detailed plan for reform. Rather, he has put forth guidelines for Congress to consider in the development of legislation to create personal accounts within a program in need of “wise and effective reform.” The President has acknowledged that other changes would be needed to address the system’s projected long-range funding shortfall. In recent years, reform ideas hav… more
Date: September 20, 2005
Creator: Nuschler, Dawn
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Hurricane Katrina: Activities of the Social Security Administration

Description: This report outlines legislative procedures and also discuss Social Security Administration (SSA) procedures after September 11, 2001, to facilitate new disability, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) SSI, survivors, and death benefit applications.
Date: September 9, 2005
Creator: Szymendera, Scott
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Reform: President Bush's Individual Account Proposal

Description: The Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program, commonly referred to as Social Security, is facing a long-term fiscal deficit. In response to this challenge, President Bush has made Social Security reform the key focus of his domestic social policy agenda during his second term. On February 2, the President issued a document, “Strengthening Social Security for the 21st Century,” which lays out the specifications for a system of voluntary individual accounts to be phased-in as … more
Date: April 25, 2005
Creator: Haltzel, Laura
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Mexican Workers in the United States: A Comparison with Workers from Social Security Totalization Countries

Description: On June 29, 2004, the United States and Mexico signed a Social Security totalization agreement, the effects of which depend on the yet to be disclosed language of the agreement. A totalization agreement coordinates the payment of Social Security taxes and benefits for workers who divide their careers between two countries. The agreement has not been transmitted to Congress for review, which is required under law before the agreement can go into effect. This report does not attempt to estimate t… more
Date: July 29, 2005
Creator: Siskin, Alison & Mayer, Gerald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Brief Facts and Statistics

Description: This report provides facts and statistics about Social Security that are frequently requested by Members of Congress and their staffs. It includes information about Social Security taxes and benefits, the program's impact on its recipients' incomes, federal tax receipts, federal spending and the economy, administrative information, and selected facts about Medicare.
Date: January 26, 2006
Creator: Sidor, Gary
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Employees: Pay and Pension Increases Since 1969

Description: Under the terms of the Federal Employees' Pay Comparability Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-509), pay for civilian federal employees is adjusted each year to keep the salaries of federal workers competitive with comparable occupations in the private sector. The annual increases in federal employee pay are based on changes in the cash compensation paid to workers in the private sector, as measured by the ECI. Under certain circumstances, the President may limit the annual increase in federal pay by execut… more
Date: January 20, 2010
Creator: Purcell, Patrick
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Community Services Block Grants (CSBG): Background and Funding

Description: The Administration's FY2012 budget would zero-out certain national activities related to Community Service Block Grant (CSBG), including Rural Community Facilities and Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals (JOLI). The budget requests $20 million for Community Economic Development (down from the FY2010 level of $36 million but more than the final FY2011 level of $18 million), and would target these funds toward the multiagency Healthy Food Financing Initiative. The Administration would fu… more
Date: May 26, 2011
Creator: Spar, Karen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Employees: Pension COLAs and Pay Adjustments Since 1969

Description: Congress has linked adjustments in federal pay to the ECI so that wages for federal employees will remain competitive with wages paid by firms in the private sector. Under the terms of the Federal Employees' Pay Comparability Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-509), pay for civilian federal employees is adjusted each year to keep the salaries of federal workers competitive with comparable occupations in the private sector. These annual adjustments in federal employee pay-which are distinct from any pay rais… more
Date: December 7, 2010
Creator: Isaacs, Katelin P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Taxation of Aliens Working in the United States

Description: This report outlines issues regarding the taxation of aliens since several pieces of current legislation have been introduced that would impose restrictions for claiming child tax credits or for claiming credits and refunds. The report includes an overview of immigration status, resident or nonresident aliens, taxation of income for various classifications, and Social Security and medicare taxes.
Date: May 18, 2012
Creator: Lunder, Erika K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Community Services Block Grants (CSBG): Background and Funding

Description: This report looks at the purpose and background of Community Services Block Grants (CSBG), which provide federal funds to states, territories, and tribes for distribution to local agencies to support a wide range of community-based activities to reduce poverty. CSBG was last reauthorized in 1998, although and related programs have been funded by Congressional approval since then.
Date: February 15, 2012
Creator: Spar, Karen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Community Services Block Grants (CSBG): Background and Funding

Description: This report looks at the purpose and background of Community Services Block Grants (CSBG), which provide federal funds to states, territories, and tribes for distribution to local agencies to support a wide range of community-based activities to reduce poverty. CSBG was last reauthorized in 1998, although and related programs have been funded by Congressional approval since then.
Date: June 21, 2012
Creator: Spar, Karen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: What Would Happen If the Trust Funds Ran Out?

Description: This report looks at ways to overhaul the Social Security system due to a projected lack of system funds, which are estimated to become exhausted in 2041.
Date: August 20, 2009
Creator: Scott, Christine
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Major Decisions in the House and Senate on Social Security: 1935-2010

Description: This report responds to the many inquiries that CRS gets for Social Security vote information, which range from requests for general information about legislative action over the years to requests for information about specific floor amendments. It is intended to be a reference document on the major statutory decisions made by Congress on the Social Security program. A detailed table of contents and a summary table of the legislation discussed are provided to aid the reader.
Date: January 12, 2011
Creator: Sidor, Gary
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Disability Benefits Available Under the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Veterans Disability Compensation (VDC) Programs

Description: This report seeks to clarify why one group of individuals with disabilities may be eligible for benefits under Veteran's Disability Compensation (VDC), but ineligible for benefits under Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) (and vice versa), through a description and comparison of several distinguishing characteristics of the SSDI and VDC programs. This report concludes with a discussion of the challenges facing the administration of both programs, including processing delays for pending… more
Date: September 12, 2012
Creator: Moulta-Ali, Umar
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: What Would Happen If the Trust Funds Ran Out?

Description: This report explains what the Social Security trust funds are and how they work. It describes the historical operations of the trust funds and the Social Security trustees' projections of future operations. It explains what could happen if Congress allowed the trust funds to run out. It also analyzes two scenarios that assume Congress waits until the moment of insolvency to act, showing the magnitude of benefit cuts or tax increases needed and how such changes would affect beneficiaries.
Date: October 21, 2013
Creator: Scott, Christine
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Reform: Current Issues and Legislation

Description: Report that looks at the Social Security debate, Social Security future projections, and public opinion on Social Security reform. It also looks at past reform measures, from the 109th-112th Congress, none of which received congressional action.
Date: November 28, 2012
Creator: Nuschler, Dawn
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Primer

Description: Report that provides an overview of Social Security financing and benefits under current law.
Date: June 17, 2013
Creator: Nuschler, Dawn
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Retirement Benefits for Members of Congress

Description: This report discusses the Civil Service Retirement Act of 1920 (P.L. 66-215) that established a pension system for federal employees in the executive branch of government.
Date: August 9, 2013
Creator: Isaacs, Katelin P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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