The 118^th Congress is off to a bumpy start. The protracted Speaker election highlighted the division in the House, not just between the Republicans and Democrats, but within the Republican caucus as well. Having been waylaid by the delay in choosing a leader, the House has been slow to seat committees and go about its work. Meanwhile, the Senate, in which Democrats maintain a thin majority (51, with 48 Democrats and 3 Independents, to 49 Republicans) voted only three times in January. From the outset, it appears that this disjointed Congress may face challenges in advancing substantive legislation or even completing basic tasks, such as organizing itself.

Already, a potential showdown over the debt limit is looming, with Republicans signaling they may fight for spending cuts in exchange for their support in increasing the government’s borrowing authority. President Biden and Congressional Democrats, however, have said that they are not willing to negotiate around this issue, setting up a potential battle for June, when “extraordinary measures” to prevent the nation from defaulting on its loan obligations are expected to be exhausted.

Legislation to raise the debt limit is a must-pass for Congress, and failing to act could result in a downgrading of the U.S. credit rating and unprecedented negative consequences for the global economy. Because it has never happened before, no one knows exactly what will happen to Social Security payments if Congress fails to act before the U.S. debt reaches the current limit.

Historically, Republicans have advocated for restructuring the Social Security program, and a recent article in The Washington Post noted that GOP leaders and some Democrats have advocated for the creation of commissions, such as those suggested in the TRUST Act introduced by Senator Romney in the 117^th Congress, to examine ways to reform the program.

Some worry these panels could recommend changes that would result in benefit reductions down the line and that deals made by any commission would be fast-tracked to passage with no opportunity to amend the proposals.

In a noteworthy moment from the State of the Union address, President Biden reaffirmed his commitment to preserving Social Security while simultaneously putting Republicans on the spot to affirm their commitment to the same in a very public forum. In this divided political atmosphere, NOSSCR’s Washington team must continue to work hard to educate Members of Congress and staff about Social Security and our legislative priorities.

Key to NOSSCR’s strategy is the ability to forge relationships with Members of Congress who are new to the Social Security Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee, as well as strengthening the relationships that already exist.

The new Chairman of the Social Security Subcommittee is Congressman Drew Ferguson (R-GA). Ferguson, a dentist, defeated a Tea Party candidate in his 2016 election and is considered an ally of the Republican leadership.

The other Republicans on the subcommittee are as follows: Congressman Mike Carey (R-OH), Congressman David Schweikert (R-AZ), Congressman Ron Estes (R-KS), Congressman Blake Moore (R-UT), Congressman Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Congressman Greg Steube (R-FL), and Congressman David Kustoff (R-TN).

The Democrats on the committee are led by Congressman John Larson (D-CT).

The following Members of Congress join him on the Democratic side of the Social Security Subcommittee: Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Congressman Brian Higgins (D-NY), and Congressman Dan Kildee (D-MI).