Biden talks Social Security in first speech post-presidency

Former President Joe Biden Tuesday night, in his first public speech since leaving office, accused Republicans of plotting to gut Social Security to provide tax cuts for the wealthy. Biden’s comments came during an evening address at the national conference of Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled in Chicago.

What did Biden have to say? He opened by spotlighting his role as a senator who cosponsored the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, calling it one of the most consequential civil rights laws in American history.

He quickly moved on to the topic of Social Security, pointing out that, during his administration, he signed into law the Social Security Fairness Act, which ended the Windfall Elimination Provision, effectively expanding the number of people eligible to receive Social Security benefits. He also took credit for, as he characterized it, streamlining the Social Security Administration and improving its efficiency.

What did he have to say about Republicans? Biden accused the GOP of wanting to cut Social Security, pointing to plans to cut 7,000 employees from the Social Security Agency. He also accused the Trump administration of using what he characterized as a shoot-first-aim-later approach to fixing Social Security. Biden expressed concern that Social Security recipients may soon miss their monthly checks for the first time in history.

What have Republicans had to say? The White House has repeatedly insisted that the Trump administration will always protect Social Security and Medicare, and pledged never to cut benefits for recipients. The Trump administration plans to save recipients money by eliminating roughly $521 billion of annual Social Security fraud and improper payments.

Additionally, on Tuesday, the White House said Trump signed a presidential memorandum aimed at stopping illegal aliens and other ineligible people from receiving Social Security payments. This included eliminating payments from recipients who fail to verify their eligibility or are found to be deceased. The savings would ensure that more money was on hand for legitimate Social Security recipients, the White House said.

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