[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 59 (Thursday, April 12, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2121-S2123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. WYDEN (for himself, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Casey):
  S. 2653. A bill to create a poverty relief benefit under title II of 
the Social Security Act for eligible individuals; to the Committee on 
Finance.
  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, every day, Social Security provides vital 
benefits to millions of Americans who worked and paid into the system, 
and I cannot overstate the important anti-poverty role that the program 
plays. Supplemental Security Income or SSI is the safety net of last 
resort for individuals who have not worked enough to qualify for Social 
Security. Even with these critical income support programs, more and 
more seniors and people with disabilities find themselves struggling to 
keep up with the costs of the things they need just to get by.
  Although Social Security and SSI automatically increase each year 
when there is an increase in the cost of living, over time those 
increases do not allow beneficiaries to maintain their standard of 
living. Because Social Security provides an increasingly larger share 
of the elderly's income as they age, even a slight decrease in value of 
these lifeline benefits can lead to poverty and hardship. Too many 
seniors are walking on an economic tightrope, balancing their food bill 
against their rent against their utility bill. It's time to update 
Social Security's guarantee of a secure retirement, and this bill is a 
landmark step towards accomplishing that goal. I'm particularly hopeful 
about the benefits this bill will have for older American women, who 
live longer and often have less retirement savings.
  To help combat the risk of poverty among the most vulnerable 
receiving Social Security and SSI, I, along with Senators Brown and 
Casey, are introducing the Elder Poverty Relief Act. This bill creates 
a monthly Poverty Relief Benefit for almost everyone over age 82, 
individuals who have been relying on Social Security or SSI for a long 
time, or who have worked in low-paying jobs and receive a very small 
Social Security benefit. The Poverty Relief benefit will also go to 
seniors who receive only SSI. If enacted, in 2019, the Poverty Relief 
Benefit would provide an additional $85 a month to almost 14 million 
people. The Poverty Relief Benefit will grow by roughly 4 percent each 
year. SSA estimates that the enactment of the Poverty Relief Benefit 
would reduce poverty among seniors who received the benefit by almost 
25 percent in 2030 which would lift 420,000 seniors out of poverty. 
Notably, the enactment of the Poverty Relief Benefit would not 
accelerate the depletion year of the Social Security trust funds. The 
bill has been endorsed by the Gray Panthers, Justice in Aging, the 
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Social 
Security Works, and the Strengthen Social Security Coalition.
  For most seniors, Social Security is the only income they will 
receive that's guaranteed to last as long as they live. But despite 
these important benefits, poverty among seniors grows--with some 
studies showing the poverty rate among the very old is between 12 and 
19 percent. We simply must do more to protect the financial stability 
of our elderly friends, neighbors, and relatives and enactment of the 
Poverty Relief Benefit would help reduce poverty among America's 
seniors. These are workers who sent a chunk of every paycheck to the 
Federal government with the understanding that they'd be getting it 
back in their later year when they needed it most. We must do right by 
them.
  Mr. President: I ask unanimous consent that a letter from the 
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare be inserted 
into the

[[Page S2122]]

Record following my remarks about the Elderly Poverty Act.

                                    National Committee to Preserve


                                  Social Security & Medicare,

                                   Washington, DC, March 16, 2018.
     Hon. Ron Wyden,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Wyden: On behalf of the millions of members 
     and supporters of the National Committee to Preserve Social 
     Security and Medicare, I write to endorse your bill, the 
     ``Elder Poverty Relief Act.'' We applaud your leadership in 
     developing new and innovative approaches for alleviating 
     poverty among America's seniors.
       The ``Elder Poverty Relief Act'' addresses the long-
     standing problem of seniors falling into poverty after being 
     on the Social Security rolls for many years. This occurs when 
     inflation, only partially offset by annual cost-of-living 
     adjustments, gradually erodes the purchasing power of a 
     Social Security benefit for beneficiaries who have 
     participated in the program for several years.
       The ``Elder Poverty Relief Act'' will help alleviate 
     poverty among the elderly and the disabled by granting each 
     beneficiary a monthly increase in their benefit equal to 
     about $85. This bump-up will increase for future 
     beneficiaries in tandem with growth in wages in the economy.
       Benefits under the ``Elder Poverty Relief Act'' will be 
     paid to:
       Social Security beneficiaries beginning at age 82 (or 
     older) and to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients 
     when they reach their full retirement age (currently 66, 
     increasing gradually to age 67);
       Social Security and SSI beneficiaries who have received 
     benefits for 20 years; and to
       Social Security beneficiaries with low monthly benefits 
     (currently about $944) when they reach their full retirement 
     age.
       The ``Elder Poverty Relief Act'' embodies legislation that 
     the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and 
     Medicare has supported for a number of years. In testimony 
     given before the Senate Finance Committee at a hearing on 
     December 9, 2014, Catherine Dodd, who is the chair of the 
     National Committee's board of directors, recommended 
     increasing benefits for seniors who have received Social 
     Security for many years.
       For these reasons, the National Committee endorses your 
     bill, the ``Elder Poverty Relief Act.'' We thank you for your 
     leadership on this matter and look forward to working with 
     you to enact this important improvement to Social Security.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Max Richtman,
                                                President and CEO.

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2653

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Elder Poverty Relief Act''.

     SEC. 2. POVERTY RELIEF BENEFIT.

       (a) In General.--Title II of the Social Security Act (42 
     U.S.C. 201 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new section:


                        ``poverty relief benefit

       ``Sec. 235.  (a) Subject to subsection (d), any eligible 
     individual shall be entitled to a poverty relief benefit that 
     shall be--
       ``(1) in addition to any other amounts to which the 
     individual is entitled under this title;
       ``(2) certified and paid monthly in such manner as the 
     Commissioner of Social Security (referred to in this section 
     as the `Commissioner') considers appropriate; and
       ``(3) equal to the monthly benefit amount determined under 
     subsection (b).
       ``(b)(1) Subject to paragraph (4), the monthly benefit 
     amount determined under this subsection for any calendar year 
     shall be a dollar amount equal to 1/12th of 2 percent of the 
     national average wage index for the year (as defined in 
     section 209(k)(1)).
       ``(2) If the monthly benefit amount determined under 
     paragraph (1) is not a whole dollar, such amount shall be 
     rounded down to the next lower whole dollar.
       ``(3) The Commissioner shall determine the monthly benefit 
     amount under this subsection for each calendar year not later 
     than October 1 of the preceding calendar year, based on the 
     most recent data that is available.
       ``(4) If the monthly benefit amount determined for a 
     calendar year under paragraph (1) is less than the monthly 
     benefit amount determined for any previous calendar year, the 
     highest monthly benefit amount determined for a previous year 
     shall be the monthly benefit amount for the calendar year 
     involved.
       ``(5) For purposes of a monthly benefit amount payable to 
     an eligible individual pursuant to this section, such amount 
     shall be payable for each month during the 12-month period 
     from the month of December of the applicable calendar year 
     under such subsection through the month of November of the 
     subsequent calendar year.
       ``(c)(1) For purposes of this section, the term `eligible 
     individual' means any of the following:
       ``(A) An individual who--
       ``(i) is entitled to a monthly benefit under subsections 
     (a) through (h) of section 202 or section 223(a); and
       ``(ii) attains 82 years of age or 240 benefit months (as 
     defined in paragraph (3)) on the basis of the wages and self-
     employment income of 1 individual, whichever is earlier.
       ``(B) An individual who--
       ``(i) is eligible for supplemental security income benefits 
     under title XVI; and
       ``(ii) attains retirement age (as defined in section 
     216(l)) or 240 benefit months (as defined in paragraph (3)), 
     whichever is earlier.
       ``(C) An individual who--
       ``(i) is entitled to a monthly benefit under subsections 
     (a) through (h) of section 202;
       ``(ii) attains retirement age (as defined in section 
     216(l));
       ``(iii) has average indexed monthly earnings which do not 
     exceed the amount specified in subparagraph (B) of section 
     215(a)(1) for the purposes of clause (i) of subparagraph (A) 
     of such section 215(a); and
       ``(iv) has not less than 11 years of coverage (as defined 
     for purposes of section 215(a)(7)(D)).
       ``(2)(A) An individual's entitlement to a poverty relief 
     benefit under this section shall be suspended if, during any 
     month, the individual ceases to be an eligible individual.
       ``(B) In the case of an individual described in 
     subparagraph (A) who subsequently satisfies the requirements 
     under paragraph (1), such individual shall be reentitled to a 
     poverty relief benefit under this section.
       ``(3)(A) Subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C), for purposes 
     of this subsection, the term `benefit month' means a month 
     for which an individual has--
       ``(i) attained age 19; and
       ``(ii) been--
       ``(I) entitled to a monthly benefit under subsections (a) 
     through (h) of section 202 or section 223(a); or
       ``(II) eligible for supplemental security income benefits 
     under title XVI.
       ``(B) The term `benefit month' shall not include any month 
     in which an individual is--
       ``(i) entitled to a benefit under section 202 that is not 
     payable or reduced to zero by application of subsection (k), 
     (n), (t), (u), (v), or (x) of such section and is not 
     eligible for a benefit under title XVI (or is eligible for a 
     benefit under such title but the benefit is not payable or 
     reduced to zero);
       ``(ii) eligible for a benefit under title XVI that is not 
     payable or reduced to zero and is not entitled to a benefit 
     under sections 202 or 223 (or is entitled to a benefit under 
     such section 202 but the benefit is not payable or reduced to 
     zero); or
       ``(iii) subject to a penalty under section 1129A.
       ``(C) In the case of an individual who is entitled to a 
     monthly insurance benefit described in subclause (I) of 
     subparagraph (A)(ii) on the basis of the wages and self-
     employment income of more than 1 individual, a benefit month 
     shall be determined based on the wages and self-employment 
     income that are the basis of the largest benefit to which 
     such individual is entitled for such month.
       ``(d)(1) In no case shall an eligible individual be 
     entitled to more than 1 poverty relief benefit under this 
     section for any month.
       ``(2) For any month in which an eligible individual is 
     entitled to a monthly benefit described in subsection 
     (c)(1)(A)(i) on the basis of the wages and self-employment 
     income of more than 1 individual, a poverty relief benefit 
     under this section may only be paid for such month on the 
     basis of the wages and self-employment that are the basis for 
     the largest monthly benefit to which such individual is 
     entitled for such month.
       ``(3) Any amounts provided to an eligible individual 
     pursuant to this section shall not be regarded as income or 
     earnings for purposes of determining the eligibility of the 
     recipient for benefits or assistance, or the amount or extent 
     of benefits or assistance, under any Federal program or under 
     any State or local program financed in whole or in part with 
     Federal funds, or the eligibility for or extent of benefits 
     or assistance under such programs of any individual for whom 
     the income of the recipient is counted.''.
       (b) Railroad Retirement Act.--Section 19 of the Railroad 
     Retirement Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C. 231r) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e);
       (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new 
     subsection:
       ``(d)(1) An individual entitled to an annuity component 
     computed under section 3(a)(1), 4(a)(1), or 4(f)(1) of this 
     Act shall be entitled to the benefit described in section 235 
     of the Social Security Act, subject to the requirements and 
     conditions set forth therein.''; and
       (3) in subsection (e), as so redesignated, by striking 
     ``subsection (a), (b), or (c)'' each place it appears and 
     inserting ``subsection (a), (b), (c), or (d)''.
       (c) Source of Funds.--Subsection (h) of section 201 of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401) is amended to read as 
     follows:
       ``(h)(1) Benefit payments required to be made under section 
     223, and benefit payments required to be made under 
     subsection (b), (c), or (d) of section 202 to individuals 
     entitled to benefits on the basis of the wages and self-
     employment income of an individual entitled to disability 
     insurance benefits, shall be made only from the Federal 
     Disability Insurance Trust Fund. All other benefit payments 
     required to be made under this title (other than sections 226 
     and 235) shall be made only from the Federal Old-Age and 
     Survivors Insurance Trust Fund.
       ``(2) Any benefit payment required to made under section 
     235 to an individual entitled to

[[Page S2123]]

     a poverty relief benefit under such section shall be made--
       ``(A) in the case of an individual who is also entitled to 
     a benefit under section 202 or 223, from the same trust fund 
     from which the individual's benefit under section 202 or 223 
     is made; and
       ``(B) in the case of an individual who is not entitled to a 
     benefit under section 202 or 223, from funds appropriated for 
     such purpose pursuant to the authorization of appropriations 
     in section 1601.''.
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 1601 of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1381) is amended by striking 
     ``there are authorized'' and all that follows through the 
     period and inserting the following: ``and to make poverty 
     relief benefit payments under section 235 to individuals who 
     are described in section 201(h)(2)(B), there are authorized 
     to be appropriated sums sufficient to carry out this title 
     and make such payments.''.
       (e) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall apply to benefits payable for months beginning after 
     November 2018.
                                 ______