Minority Leader Boehner: Raise the Retirement Age to 70

by Josie Raymond · 2010-06-30 10:38:00 UTC
Topics:

Social Security, it seems, is as broke as many of the people who need it. A report from the Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees issued last year projected that Social Security as we know it will be gone in 2037 if reforms are not put in place. "Projected long run program costs are not sustainable under current program parameters," the report said. Assets are expected to be continually depleted as Baby Boomers start collecting until reserves dry up in 2037 and we switch to paying partial benefits thanks only to tax income. The need for reform is clear.

Of course, there are differing opinions on how to fix Social Security. President George W. Bush's plan to privatize wasn't the answer. Neither, apparently, is the call from many progressives (and Defense Secretary Robert Gates) to cut the military budget dramatically and redirect those funds to entitlement programs. Now the tanned-one, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), has an idea: raise the retirement age to 70. It's a funny proposal coming from someone who is called "lazy" even by fellow Republicans.

In an interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review in which he criticized financial reform, Boehner said he'd like to see the retirement age raised to 70, but conceded that he'd give 20 years notice, so no one near retirement now would be affected. He also said he'd like to limit payouts to people who have a need. "We need to look at the American people and explain to them that we're broke," Boehner said. "If you have substantial non-Social Security income while you're retired, why are we paying you at a time when we're broke?"

Boehner also criticized financial reform, saying it's "killing an ant with a nuclear weapon." The White House jumped at the opportunity to call Boehner "completely out of touch with America."

It's worth noting that the retirement idea crosses part lines, though. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) has also suggested a higher retirement age.

See Boehner's remarks in the video below. What do you think — necessary evil or bait and switch?

Photo credit: kamshots

Josie Raymond has reported from the streets of the South Bronx, written for several magazines that folded (not her fault) and fixed thousands of typos.
PREVIOUS STORY:
Even Stripping Doesn't Pay in This Recession
NEXT STORY:
Is the NCAA Putting Student Athletes at Risk?

COMMENTS (3)

    Comment Policy

    · All fields are required to comment.

    [X]

    Comments on Change.org are meant for further exploration and evaluation of the campaign on Change.org. To that end, we welcome constructive comments. However, we reserve the right to delete comments which, as determined solely in our discretion: (1) are offensive, abusive, or off-topic; (2) include content solely intended to personally attack the campaign creator, (3) are designed to subvert or hijack comment threads rather than contribute to them; and/or (4) violate our terms of service and/or privacy policy. Repeat offenders may be permanently removed from the site at our discretion. Please also be advised that: (A) we do not actively curate and/or monitor in any manner whatsoever the comments made on the Change.org platform, and (B) the creator of each campaign on Change.org may remove any comment at her/his/its discretion.