My weekly column: “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” delivers for Iowa seniors

In the 1930s, the Social Security Act was enacted to protect American seniors from poverty, unemployment, and other issues. Over the years, the benefits provided by this law have grown to become a crucial safety net for our seniors and retirees. Each year, approximately 57.6 million people aged 65 or older receive Social Security benefits and about 40% of older Americans rely solely on Social Security for their retirement income. Without Social Security, 37% of older adults would fall below the poverty line. 

This safety net is an important investment in the future of the United States that provides certainty to retiring workers. The average American worker making the average yearly wage in the United States will pay about $160,000 in the Social Security system before retirement. In turn, when these workers retire, the next generation will secure their future and so on.

In Congress, I am committed to protecting this important function of our government. After a lifetime of hard work, our seniors deserve to retire with dignity and receive the Social Security benefits that they earned. Unfortunately, due to reckless government spending and congressional inaction, the Congressional Budget Office has projected that the Social Security Trust Fund will run out of sufficient funds by 2033 to pay Social Security benefits in full. This would be an unacceptable, critical failure of our government, letting down millions of retirees and seniors that paid their fair share into the system.

This is why I introduced the Save Our Seniors Act to help protect the long-term solvency of Social Security by requiring the Congressional Budget Office to include an honest and accurate projection of Social Security’s financial health in its annual ten-year economic outlook. This bill ensures that our seniors receive the benefits they’re entitled to—on time and in full. Additionally, this legislation demands Congress come up with real solutions to keep the Social Security Trust Fund solvent for future generations of hardworking Americans.

From my seat on the House Ways and Means Committee Social Security Subcommittee, I will always work to protect these benefits. In July, the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” was signed into law to protect Americans—especially our seniors—from historic tax hikes. Provisions included in this legislation—like the $6,000 deduction for individuals aged 65 and older—are a lifeline for retirees on a fixed income. The “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” also allows seniors enrolled in Medicare Part A and a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) to contribute to health savings accounts (HSAs), which was previously restricted. This provides additional tax-advantaged savings for medical expenses, benefiting seniors who continue working or have specific health plans.

My team and I are also working directly with constituents in Iowa to ensure they’re receiving the benefits they were promised. I’m glad that my office and I could work with the Social Security Administration to ensure that residents at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown could make changes to their direct deposit preferences over the phone. This fix will make it much easier for veterans to make changes to their Social Security benefits without having to leave their residences and causing needless headaches.

As I continue to represent Iowans in Congress, I encourage any of my constituents who need assistance navigating the Social Security Administration—or any other federal agency—to reach out to my office at Feenstra.House.Gov or over the phone at 202-225-4426.