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The Government's Long-Term Fiscal Shortfall: How Much is Attributable to Social Security?

Description: One reason that Social Security reform is on the congressional agenda is the large projected long-term fiscal shortfall facing Social Security, estimated at an average of 0.9% of gross domestic product (GDP) between now and 2080. But relatively little attention has been given to the potential long-term shortfall faced by the rest of the government, which is estimated to be more than 6.5 times larger than Social Security’s shortfall
Date: August 29, 2005
Creator: Labonte, Marc
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Investing Social Security Funds in the Stock Market: Some Economic Considerations

Description: For the time being, Social Security receipts are more than enough to fund current benefits. But beginning in 2017, under current law, benefits are projected to exceed Social Security receipts. At that point, if not before, either benefit will have to be cut, taxes will have to be raised, or the shortfall will have to be made up either by tapping non-Social Security revenues, which would reduce the unified federal budget surplus or by an increase in federal borrowing.
Date: April 12, 2005
Creator: Cashell, Brian W.
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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Social Security Reform: Effect on Benefits and the Federal Budget of Plans Proposed by the President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security

Description: In 2001, President Bush established the President’s Commission to Strengthen Social Security to make recommendations on ways to “modernize and restore fiscal soundness to the Social Security system” in accordance with six principles, one of which mandated the creation of voluntary personal retirement accounts. The Commission proposed three alternative reform models. Under all three proposals, workers could choose to invest in personal accounts and have their traditional Social Security benefits… more
Date: July 15, 2003
Creator: Nuschler, Dawn & Kollmann, Geoffrey
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: "Transition Costs"

Description: The Social Security Administration’s chief actuary forecasts that under current law, the Social Security Trust Funds will be depleted in 2042. Many Members of Congress have expressed concern that restoring the program to long-term fiscal balance will impose burdens on future generations by requiring them to pay higher taxes, accept benefit cuts, or undertake substantial government borrowing to pay the full benefits promised under current law.
Date: December 23, 2004
Creator: Haltzel, Laura
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: Raising or Eliminating the Taxable Earnings Base

Description: Social Security taxes are levied on earnings up to a maximum level set each year. In 2004, this maximum — or what is referred to as the taxable earnings base — is $87,900. There is no similar base for the Medicare Hospital Insurance (HI) portion of the tax; all earnings are taxable for HI purposes. Elimination of the HI base was proposed by President Clinton and enacted in 1993, effectively beginning in 1994. Recently others have proposed that the base for Social Security be raised or eliminate… more
Date: January 20, 2004
Creator: Haltzel, Laura
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Student Benefits

Description: As part of his program for economic recovery, President Reagan included a proposal to discontinue social security benefits for 18 to 22-year-old students attending college or vocational school. Critics of the student benefit believe that other federally funded educational assistance programs which tailor the amount of aid provided to actual educational costs and family income should be relied upon to help finance the college educations of students who are children of retired, disabled, and dece… more
Date: October 18, 1983
Creator: Koitz, David Stuart
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Benefits for Prisoners

Description: On Mar. 24, 1983, the Congress adopted, as part of the Social Security Amendments of 1983 (P.L. 98-21), a measure to preclude virtually all incarcerated felons from receiving social security benefits of any kind, including retirement and survivor benefits. This action expanded previous legislation. In October 1980, legislation had been enacted (P.L. 96-473) that denied only social security disability benefits and student benefits to prisoners convicted of a felony.
Date: November 1, 1983
Creator: Koitz, David Stuart
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: Alien Beneficiaries

Description: Mounting concern about the payment of social security Benefits to aliens living abroad resulted in the enactment of legislation this year adding new restrictions on the payment of benefits to certain aliens, P.L. 98-21.
Date: November 1, 1983
Creator: Koitz, David Stuart
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Financing

Description: The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) program, the largest of the social security programs, will not have sufficient resources to meet its benefit payments on time in July 1983. Even if the program were permitted to continue to borrow from the other social security programs, the financial the shortfall would re-emerge in 1984.
Date: January 25, 1983
Creator: Koitz, David Stuart; Kollmann, Geoffrey & Miller, Nancy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Cash and Non-Cash Benefits for Persons with Limited Income: Eligibility Rules, Recipient and Expenditure Data, FY1981-83

Description: This report summarizes basic eligibility rules, as of May 1984, for more than 70 cash and non-cash programs that benefit primarily persons of limited income. It also gives funding formulas, benefit levels, and, for fiscal years 1981-1983, recipient numbers and expenditure data for each program.
Date: June 18, 1984
Creator: Burke, Vee
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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