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Prediction track record
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Consistency insights
Bill Cassidy · statement ↔ vote record
45
Consistency score
Based on 1 data point across public statements and recorded votes · AI analysis of public records
118-hr-82·Mixed signal
Social Security Fairness Act of 2023
45/100
What they said
Jun 10, 2026
Senator Cassidy expresses concern about Social Security insolvency projected for 2032 and advocates for congressional action to address the program's financial crisis. He proposes creating a sovereign wealth fund independent of the Social Security Trust Fund as a solution.
Both the statement and bill address Social Security policy, but they target different specific questions. Cassidy's statement focuses on addressing long-term insolvency (projected 2032) through structural reform via a sovereign wealth fund. The bill addresses benefit reductions for individuals with government pensions by repealing the government pension offset and windfall elimination provision—a narrower, targeted benefit expansion for a specific population. Cassidy's YES vote on this amendment is consistent with supporting Social Security benefit protections generally, but the amendment does not directly address the insolvency crisis or sovereign wealth fund approach he advocates. The vote is procedural (amendment), which limits clarity on his substantive intent regarding the broader bill.
Pairs with ambiguous language and high uncertainty are withheld until more data is available. Procedural, cloture, and amendment votes are excluded — they don't cleanly signal substantive support or opposition.
Pro analysis
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Crossing the aisle
Passage votes where Bill Cassidy broke ranks with ≥75% of Republicans. Threshold catches substantively partisan splits; unanimous-ish or close votes are excluded.
Cassidy Calls Congress’s Bluff on Social Security | U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy
Position: Senator Cassidy advocates for Congress to establish a formal process to consider and debate solutions to Social Security's projected insolvency, which he warns will result in a 22–28% benefit cut within six years. He has proposed a sovereign wealth fund mechanism as one potential solution.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), today sought unanimous consent on the U.S. Senate floor to establish a process for Congress to consider solutions to prevent a 22-28% cut to Social Security benefits for 75 million Americans in six short years. An objection prevented the U.S. Senate from even beginning consideration of the resolution. Cassidy then countered the objection.
“[The resolution] does not predetermine the outcome. It just says that Congress must consider a solution—anyone’s solution—Democrat or Republican, Left and Right. It just asks us to do our job to consider the solution to then go through regular order on the Senate Finance Committee to be considered by all,” said Dr. Cassidy.
Cassidy has outlined his plan to rescue Social Security from insolvency by creating a sovereign wealth fund independent of the Social Security Trust Fund. He has written extensively on his proposal in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, State Affairs, and the Washington Examiner. On the U.S. Senate floor, Cassidy has repeatedly called on Congress to act to save the program. Most recently, he challenged the U.S. Senate to stop being good politicians and start being good senators.
CASSIDY, DURBIN DELIVER JOINT SPEECH URGING SENATE TO TAKE ACTION BEFORE SOCIAL SECURITY BECOMES INSOLVENT | U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy
Position: Senators Cassidy and Durbin advocate for Congress to establish a bipartisan process to address Social Security's projected 2032 insolvency, arguing that delay increases the cost of solutions and that a procedural framework is necessary to develop policy options.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a joint speech on the U.S. Senate floor emphasizing the dire need for congressional action to address Social Security’s looming insolvency. The Social Security trust fund is expected to become insolvent in 2032, resulting in an automatic reduction in benefits for millions of Americans. The Senators have introduced the bipartisan Protecting Retirement Opportunities and Maintaining Income Security for Everyone (PROMISE) Act, legislation that would establish a bipartisan process to address Social Security’s looming insolvency. The legislation merely sets up a process for Congress to consider debating proposals.
“Mr. President, people won’t even set up a process! We’re not talking about a solution. We’re talking about a process that would come to a solution!…It is important for our country that Congress tackle this issue. And when I say our country, I mean the people who live here, whether they are older or whether they are younger; they’re relying upon Congress to step up to its responsibility,” said Dr. Cassidy.
“So, to my colleagues who oppose this approach, who say we need more time to do it, I want to back up Senator Cassidy. It costs money over time. It costs benefits over time. The solution becomes more expensive over time. The longer you wait, the more expensive it becomes to save Social Security. And we absolutely, positively have to save it,” said Senator Durbin.
We have been trying to set up a process, a process whereby Congress would consider a solution.
Not prescribe a solution, consider a solution for Social Security. A process that would have members of the House and members of the Senate come together fully open for input from stakeholders, from citizens, to have something to present.
Among all the proposals that are out there, two proposals, three proposals, and whatever we put up would not be the final solution, necessarily.
It could be replaced by any other member of the Senate with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
And, Mr. President, people won’t even set up a process! We’re not talking about a solution. We’re talking about a process that would come to a solution, maybe, that still has to get 60 votes in the United States Senate.
Folks say, “We need more time.”
Dick Durbin just chuckled. He goes, “They’ve had 44 years. They’ve had 44 years, how much more time do they need?”
I’ve got a couple cartoons just to make the case. I think that if we don’t set up this process, Congress will be kicking granny off the cliff.
That was made famous long ago. There it is.
And Congress will not set up a process by which to address the issue.
75 million retirees, widows, widowers, others rely on Social.
In 6 years, the program, the trust fund goes insolvent.
And when that happens, according to the actuaries, there will be either an almost 29% benefit reduction or a 40% increase in payroll taxes on working Americans.
If that trust fund goes insolvent, and that benefit is cut 28.5% as the actuaries say it will, the rate of poverty among Americans over age 65 will increase by 50%.
Congress made a promise, and some people want to ignore it.
She paid in, she earned it, she relies on it. But…if you ask, “Should we do something about Social?” Apparently, for some people, the time to do something on Social is never.
They don’t want to take a tough vote, even if that vote only sets up a process.
Doesn’t even propose a solution. A process whereby Congress is required to fix the issue.
By the way, Social has always been important. It’s even more important now that Americans are living longer.
And every year we delay to fixing it, fixing Social, the amount of cuts required to balance it increase. The amount of taxes required to fix it increase. The amount of money we have to borrow to fix it increases.
There is no good thing about waiting, except that it allows Congress to dodge its responsibility.
I want to compliment my colleague from Illinois. He came up to me and goes, “Bill, I’m leaving the Senate. We need to make a run.”
But, by the way, we have a solution, but we’re not saying it has to be our solution.
All we’re trying to do is set up a process by which solutions can be considered.
And running out the clock, it may be politically convenient, but it is the wrong thing to do. Congress’s obligation to the American people, to the people that rely upon Social Security, is to act and is to act now.
I have another cartoon here just to make the point.
It’s not just older people affected; it is younger people.
Sorry, young folks, you’re getting left behind. Because some say it’s not our problem.
The Social Security system is going insolvent, and these folks can pay into it, they’ll never receive a benefit.
These young Pages here, they don’t recognize it yet, but they’re contributing every month on the wages they’re getting to a system that will not be there for them unless we do something now.
So, before I defer to my colleague, I’ll say once more: all we’re doing is setting up a process to propose solutions that may or may not pass, that any Senator can bring their own bill and have it as an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
And it’s up to Congress to find a solution.
Now, history will decide whether Congress took up the responsibility of addressing the issue or whether because it was politically advantageous, politically expedient, to kick the can down the road once more, even though the road’s about to end in a dead end.
Or, in the case of one of our cartoons, with the cliff here, they built a bridge and decided not to finish it.
Here, the folks who need to get across the bridge of Social Security will get to it someday.
That’s the point, Mr. President.
Let’s set up a process to be considered.
We’re talking about the PROMISE Act, which is a Dick Durbin, lead author, Bill Cassidy bill.
Now, there may be another way, but let’s set up the process.
With that, I defer to my colleague.
What a treat it is to be on the floor of the Senate with a colleague on the Republican side of the aisle, working together, to try to solve a problem.
It doesn’t happen much around here. You see these empty desks?
They’re empty almost all the days, week in, week out, month in, month out.
We do important things like nominations. There’s nothing that’s trivial about that.
But we don’t tackle the issues that really affect the people at home with their families.
75 million Americans rely on it.
Half of them, it’s their only source of income. So, a Social Security check means a lot.
So, the experts on Social Security tell Dr. Cassidy and myself that just in a few years, six years, Social Security will be unable to make full promise payments. It’ll be cut by 22% in terms of benefits.
The average Social Security check now is around $2,400 a month. If you reduce that by 22%, it means that people receiving Social Security will receive about $450 to $500 less a month. If that is your only source of income, imagine for a moment that $2,400 just lopped off from the monthly payment.
How does if affect you? Paying your rent, paying your mortgage, paying your utility bills, paying what it might take at a grocery store to get by.
It’s going to be a real hardship, as Senator Cassidy said.
For the citizens of America, it means that those under the poverty level will increase by 50%.
We have to do something about it.
And the bill that I’ve introduced with Senator Cassidy basically doesn’t pick a solution, although we can come up with a couple. It doesn’t pick a solution. It just says, don’t waste any time.
Let the American people engage in this conversation with you and vote on some alternatives. Now, vote is a word that used to be part of being a senator.
Not so much anymore. Except when it comes to nominations, there aren’t a lot of votes on substantive issues around this chamber. I know a little bit about this.
I’ve given more than half of my life to Congress. 14 years in the House, 30 years in the Senate.
I know what you’re saying. Sounds like a career politician.
Well, maybe I am. And proud of it.
And particularly proud of serving in this chamber. I’ve seen some glorious things happen in this chamber on a bipartisan basis.
But it takes a couple senators, maybe more, to stand up and say, “We’ve got to do something that’s risky and controversial, but important.”
This is not the first time I faced Social Security. When I was a member of the House, elected in ’82, came to serve in ’83, I was told that in a matter of months, Social Security would run out of money.
You’re a brand-new member of Congress, scared to death you won’t be reelected, and they tell you you’ve got to make a big change in the biggest social program in America.
But you know what? We did it. Our goal was simple.
50 years of solvency in Social Security.
Can we change Social Security and guarantee 50 years of solvency? We made a lot of changes.
And you know what we got for it? 2032.
1983 to 2032, we kept our word. 50 years. It’s not too much to ask this Congress to fix Social Security and keep it solvent for 50 years.
We can do it. The longer we wait to do it, the more difficult it becomes.
I look back on voting for that, and I thought it was the end of my political career, which was only a few months old.
But it turned out no member of Congress, Democrat or Republican, in 1983 and ’84 lost an election because they voted for Social Security changes.
The American people expect us to make the best choices we can. And they accepted what we did, and we bout 50 years of solvency.
That’s an amazing thing when you consider how important this program is.
And so, what Senator Cassidy and I have suggested is a process which basically says we won’t go by the Senate rules.
I might add, I was going to show it, but I think it violates the Senate rules.
The Senate is a chamber of tradition.
Down here, a few of you can see it, is a brass spittoon. A brass spittoon.
It’s been held onto as part of the tradition of the Senate.
Well, we have traditions in the rules that make things almost impossible to pass except after a long period of time. Weeks go by sometimes. Days certainly go by. Trying to get a measure on the floor to an actual vote.
The Senate rules are not kindly. They’re tough.
So, the bill that I introduced basically cuts through some of this red tape of delay and says we’ll move after several weeks to consider alternative Social Security.
The bottom line is it isn’t enough to get a majority in the Senate under the current rules, and it isn’t changed at all under our proposal.
You still need 60 votes to ultimately pass any change in Social Security.
Well, Democrats don’t have 60 votes.
Republicans don’t have 60 votes, but together we think we can reach that goal.
Now, I’ve been a little disappointed but not surprised that some of my colleagues that I’ve talked to about this said they thought it was a good idea, but on reflection they’ve decided it’s too risky, that we’re moving things too fast.
The Senate’s never been accused successfully of moving too fast on almost anything.
We take our time. That’s why we’re here.
The Senate is different than the House, and I served in both and respect both.
So, to my colleagues who oppose this approach, who say we need more time to do it, I want to back up Senator Cassidy.
The solution becomes more expensive over time. The longer you wait, the more expensive it becomes to save Social Security. And we absolutely, positively have to save it.
Too many people are counting on it.
I’ll bet you the folks who gather here today have many relatives of their own who count on Social Security, either because they’re disabled or elderly.
I understand that in my own family.
So, it is a great day in the Senate when a Democrat and a Republican stand on the floor and don’t criticize one another, but actually talk about working together.
It’s been a real pleasure for me, I’d say to Senator Cassidy, to be part of the Cassidy–Durbin Team.
We’re both ending our Senate careers on January 3rd of next year. We hoped that this would be one of the things we could achieve before we left.
I’m still not giving up completely.
But I had to step up and make a proposal with Senator Cassidy to get my colleagues in conversation.
The conversation about Social Security has increased dramatically since we started this effort.
The more expensive it becomes the longer we wait.
And I yield back to Senator Cassidy.
CASSIDY: Thank you, Senator Durbin.
And Senator Durbin is referring to what is called the PROMISE Act.
Again, it is a bill which sets up a process to come to a solution. It doesn’t dictate what the solution is.
We have colleagues who are objecting to coming up with a process.
And so, it is important for our country that Congress tackle this issue. And when I say our country, I mean the people who live here, whether they are older or whether they are younger, they’re relying upon Congress to step up to its responsibility.
Thank you, Senator Durbin. We’ll continue to push on this.
It is important for our Congress, important for our country, important for our people.
Cassidy Delivers Floor Speech Urging Congress to Pass PROMISE Act to Protect Social Security | U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy
Position: Senator Cassidy advocates for passage of the bipartisan PROMISE Act, which establishes a congressional process to address Social Security's solvency crisis and preserve benefits. He also proposes a 'Big Idea' policy creating an investment fund modeled after the Federal Railroad Retirement System.
(Click here to watch and here to download.)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) delivered a speech on the U.S. Senate floor discussing his plans to secure the future of Social Security. Cassidy’s agenda includes the bipartisan PROMISE Act, which sets up a process for Congress to work toward a solution for Social Security. This is the first step toward ensuring that millions of Americans continue to receive the Social Security benefits they are owed. In his speech, Cassidy also outlined his “Big Idea” policy, which will include an investment fund modeled after the Federal Railroad Retirement System.
“I’m pleased to say that there’s new momentum on both sides, Republicans and Democrats, to find a solution and preserve benefits for those who have spent their lifetime earning them,” said Dr. Cassidy.
“My Democratic colleague from Illinois, Dick Durbin, and I just introduced the PROMISE Act along with a group of colleagues, Republican and Democrat. The PROMISE Act sets up a process. It doesn’t dictate a policy. It sets up a process that puts Congress on the clock to save Social Security,” continued Dr. Cassidy.
I’ve been working on Social Security for eight years now. Why?
One, it’s a guarantee, an international guarantee, made to Americans when they get to a certain age to retire.
It’s an earned benefit which says that after a lifetime of work and contribution, Americans can count on a measure of financial security.
Today, more than 75 million Americans rely on Social Security.
Others are widows or widowers and children.
Now, let’s just set the context.
A program that 75 million Americans rely on, 10 million baby boomers a day become eligible for, and in six years, if Congress does nothing, by law, their benefits will be cut almost 29%.
So let’s just say that once more.
If Congress does nothing in six years by law, benefits going to 75 million Americans and more at that time will be cut by almost 29%.
We’ve known this is coming. It’s because there’s been a continued drawdown for the Social Security Trust Fund.
By law, Social Security cannot pay out more than it receives.
Currently, it is receiving money from payroll taxes, but also from the trust fund.
When the trust fund goes belly-up in six years, and the only income is that which current workers are paying, then the amount going out has to fall, and it will fall 28.5% if we wait until then to fix things.
I’m pleased to say, though, that there’s now momentum on both sides, Republicans and Democrats, to find a solution to preserve benefits for those who have spent their lifetime earning them.
By the way, people ask, how is Social Security going bankrupt? I’ve been paying it my whole life! Everybody I know has been paying into it their whole life.
So why is it going bankrupt now?
I point out to people that when Social Security came along, there were like five kids per family. And now there’s like two kids per family. And when Social Security was first enacted, you didn’t get benefits until you were 65, but the average age of death was 62.
Now, people live until they’re 82, and they’re getting their hips replaced when they’re 75 to go bungee jumping in New Zealand.
So the point being is that people are living far longer and they’re living more actively. And as a result of that, we are drawing down that trust fund.
So my Democratic colleague from Illinois, Dick Durbin, he and I just introduced the PROMISE Act along with a group of colleagues, Republican and Democrat. And the PROMISE Act sets up a process.
It sets up a process that puts Congress on the clock to save Social Security.
What the PROMISE Act does, it says that Congress shall come up with multiple options to present to the Senate Finance Committee, or to the Ways and Means Committee on the House side, in order for them to consider it, have it scored, and be delivered to Congress in order to deliberate.
And then it says that the relevant committee, say Senate Finance, has seven working days to consider it, and then it comes to the floor, and then we have a vote on it.
That begs the question: Why do it now? Why not wait until the next Congress?
Because every year we wait, it gets harder and harder to fix Social Security. The amount of cuts required or the amount of taxes to be raised are more dramatic, more drastic, and more likely to harm an individual’s personal finances.
We’re just setting up a process.
Now, by the way, in full honesty, I have a policy I’ve been working on, but my policy will be one of several that will be considered.
My policy, we have something in it which we call the Big Idea. And our Big Idea, we look at a trust fund, we look at pension funds that are doing well, that are not going bankrupt, and are growing in line with the needs of the people whom they cover.
This would be the kind of pension fund that Exxon or Google or Deloitte & Touche has.
It’s called a pension investment fund, in which dollars are invested at an early stage, allowed to grow, and as those dollars grow over time, they meet the needs of the retirees as they become eligible for pulling those dollars down.
We’ve actually done that in the federal government.
Under George W. Bush, the federal railroad retirement system was going insolvent.
And so Congress voted to allow it to diversify the investments of this pension fund.
I think every Democrat voted for it in the Senate. Three Republicans voted no. And the concerns they had have been proven wrong.
Because what’s happened now with the Federal Railroad Retirement System, we still have more retirees relative to fewer workers, but that system is in the black because it invests in the strength of the U.S. economy, and the strength of the U.S. economy has been able to pay all future obligations.
What has Congress already done successfully with the Federal Railroad Retirement System? What is being done with major corporations that meet their pension benefit?
Kind of what you do with your own 401K. We can set up this investment fund to supplement the payroll taxes that are the primary source of funding for Social Security, we can meet that future obligation.
Now, let me go back to the PROMISE Act. I’m not dictating my proposal to be the answer. We’re dictating the process that can be considered so that any proposal can be brought up.
The presiding officer has a proposal with Senator Warren. His proposal came up. So it might be his proposal, or more likely it’s going to be some sort of amalgamation.
But the only option that should not be an option is to do nothing.
Congress is being irresponsible, destructively irresponsible, if we don’t address Social Security. It’s driving our national debt. And if we cut benefits by 28%, that will double poverty among the elderly.
The promised benefit will not be delivered. By the way, if all we do is borrow, it’s going to tank our credit rating.
So, going back to my particular plan, folks say, well, what if the stock market goes down?
Under our plan, all risk is borne by the investment fund. No risk is borne by the individual. That individual gets all the benefits she’s been promised, even if the market goes up and down.
They ask me, are they putting the trust fund into the stock market? No way.
We have a separate investment fund, separate from the Social Security Trust Fund, and that’s where the investment goes.
Folks want to say, well, wait a second. I don’t trust Congress, and I don’t trust the president. You put a pot of money there, it’s like honey to a bear. They’re going to reach in and grab it.
We have guardrails all over the place, including an annual audit of how the money is invested and how the money is spent or not spent. And that audit is put online so the American people can keep track of what’s happening with their trust fund.
I will finish by saying this, Mr. President.
I like my plan. I think it’s a good plan.
I think it’s going to make it a lot easier to address the problem.
But the PROMISE Act is not about my plan. The PROMISE Act, which Dick Durbin and I introduced, is only setting up a process by which Congress is forced to take action before it gets any worse.
My proposal may be the one considered. It may be the presiding officers. It may be somebody else’s.
The only option that should not be taken is the option of doing nothing.
With that, I yield. Thank you.
Cassidy Delivers Floor Speech Urging Congress to Reauthorize the Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act | U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy
Position: Senator Cassidy advocates for reauthorization and expansion of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) Act, which provides federal tax credits to employers who hire individuals facing employment barriers, including military spouses, formerly incarcerated individuals, and those receiving SNAP benefits.
(Click here to watch and here to download.)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) delivered a speech on the U.S. Senate floor to urge Congress to reauthorize and expand the Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) Act. Cassidy emphasized the importance of access to stable employment to help military spouses, those returning to society after incarceration, pregnant mothers, and others struggling to find a job.
“Instead of making service a barrier to employment, WOTC rewards it by providing the military spouse the opportunity to build a stable and rewarding career. And in our country, that’s how we should treat those who have served our country in the military,” said Dr. Cassidy.
“One of the most meaningful ways to strengthen a person’s future, to support their family, and uplift their community, is by taking the skills that you know you have, and finding a job in which you can meaningfully use those skills,” said Dr. Cassidy.
Cassidy’s remarks as prepared for delivery are below:
When I go back to Louisiana, I meet with folks around the state.
Veterans in Jefferson Parish, some of whom have just gotten out of the service and are struggling to find a job.
Local business owners in Houma.
Nurses at hospitals in Baton Rouge.
They all can benefit from the Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act, or WOTC for short.
WOTC is a bill that makes it easier to get a job if you are someone who, for one reason or another, has difficulty doing so.
As an example, if you are the spouse of someone in the military, companies often won’t hire you because of the likelihood of having to relocate.
But WOTC gives employers a federal tax credit when they hire military spouses, benefitting the employee and the employer.
Mr. President, when one member of the family is serving our country, the whole family serves.
Instead of making service a barrier to employment, WOTC rewards it by providing military spouses the opportunity to build a stable, rewarding career.
In the United States of America, that’s exactly how we ought to treat those serving our country.
There are others whose circumstances prevent them from getting a good job.
WOTC incentivizes companies to hire them all.
I believe that one of the most meaningful ways to strengthen your future, support your family, and uplift your community is by applying your skills in a profession that’s right for you.
That’s why, in the Working Families Tax Cuts bill, if you’re receiving SNAP benefits, and you are able-bodied, and you can work, then you should.
WOTC helps those who have been out of work rejoin the workforce and supports businesses along the way.
So, when someone gets a good job, they receive more than an income.
They find stability. They become independent. They have another tool with which to achieve their American Dream.
That’s why we must reauthorize WOTC, which expired last December.
People in Louisiana and across the country support this bill and have contacted my office requesting that Congress reinstate it as soon as possible.
So that the military spouse or service member newly out, the working mom, the low-income family, all have the opportunity to work hard, contribute to society, and succeed despite the challenges they face.
That is what being an American is all about.
I wake up every morning, and I think about how to make life better in Louisiana and in the United States of America.
The Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act creates jobs, expands opportunity, and makes life better.
As we approach a new reconciliation bill, work on funding the government, and other legislative vehicles, we should consider including WOTC and extending it to military spouses.
Let’s get it done as soon as possible.
Cassidy Introduces Legislation to Provide Employment Assistance to Spouses of Veterans who Died by Suicide | U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy
Position: Senator Cassidy introduced legislation to provide career counseling and employment services to spouses of veterans who died by suicide due to service-connected disabilities, building on prior expansion of career services for surviving military spouses.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today introduced the Veteran Suicide Spousal Career Services Act to ensure spouses of veterans who died by suicide because of a service-connected disability have access to career counseling and employment services.
"When a veteran dies by suicide, the surviving spouse is left to rebuild a life after unimaginable loss. A steady job provides purpose, stability, and a path forward. This bill creates that opportunity,” said Dr. Cassidy.
Senator Cassidy previously applauded the expansion of career services for spouses for surviving military spouses through the U.S. Senate’s passage of the Gold Star and Surviving Spouse Career Services Act. This legislation broadened access to employment assistance through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Disabled Veterans Outreach Program. This program provides funding for states to hire workforce specialists, providing individualized career counseling support with localized knowledge to eligible surviving spouses.
CASSIDY, DURBIN, TILLIS, KAINE, CORNYN, KING, ARMSTRONG INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN PROPOSAL TO INITIATE CONGRESSIONAL ACTION ON SOCIAL SECURITY | U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy
Position: The senators introduce a bipartisan proposal to initiate congressional action on Social Security solvency, emphasizing the need for Congress to address the program's funding shortfall before the Trust Fund becomes depleted in 2032.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tim Kaine (D-VA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Angus King (I-ME), and Alan Armstrong (R-OK) today introduced a proposal to initiate Congressional action on Social Security. The Protecting Retirement Opportunities and Maintaining Income Security for Everyone (PROMISE) Act follows the release of the Social Security Board of Trustees’ annual report, which found that the Social Security Trust Fund will only be able to cover 78 percent of benefits in 2032—meaning that Americans who rely on the program will have their benefits reduced by 22 percent if Congress does not act.
“Millions of Americans rely on Social Security to live. In 6 years, those families will see a 22% cut to their benefits if Congress doesn’t act. Our plan starts the process of preserving promised benefits for current retirees and the next generation of Americans,” said Dr. Cassidy.
“Here is our chance to agree on a bipartisan process to rescue Social Security this year,” said Senator Durbin. “Our bipartisan proposal opens Congress to debate this issue in a transparent, fair, and bipartisan way. We were elected to solve problems—and there’s no greater problem than the solvency and future of Social Security.”
“Social Security is on an unsustainable path that will lead to dramatic benefit cuts for retirees and growing skepticism among workers paying into a program on the brink of insolvency. With each passing year, the menu of options that preserve benefits and limit tax hikes narrows. The modest reforms Congress contemplated in 2010 would have put Social Security on solid footing for 75 years; today, those same reforms would add less than two years to our current runway,” said Senator Tillis. “I won’t pretend there’s consensus on how we solve this, but the math is unforgiving: the longer Congress waits to act, the fewer good options remain, which is why I am proud to support this legislation.”
“For nearly a century, Social Security has been a lifeline that allows Americans to retire with dignity. Congress should not wait around until the last minute to shore up this critical program and prevent broad-based benefit cuts upon Trust Fund depletion,” said Senator Kaine. “That’s why I’m joining a bipartisan group of my colleagues in introducing legislation that will encourage Congress to roll up its sleeves and find a path forward to ensure current and future generations of retirees and their families are able to receive the benefits they have earned and which they are owed.”
“For years, we've known that Social Security faces serious long-term financial challenges, yet Congress has repeatedly chosen to look the other way,” said Senator King. “This legislation creates a bipartisan process to ensure Congress finally does its job. Social Security is a promise millions of Americans have earned through a lifetime of work – household budgets rely on the timely arrival of these earnings to pay for mortgages, heat, and medications. We have a responsibility to preserve that promise for today's retirees and for generations to come.”
“Americans have paid into Social Security with the expectation that the benefits they earned would provide the foundation for their retirement, and Congress has a responsibility to keep that promise,” said Senator Cornyn. “I’m proud to support this bipartisan plan of action to address Social Security’s rapidly approaching insolvency before it becomes a bigger crisis so Congress is not caught flat-footed and Texans are not left holding the bag.”
More than 70 million Americans receive Social Security benefits. Social Security is a bedrock promise that hard-working Americans paying into the program will earn their retirement and not have to worry about putting food on their table, a roof over their heads, or medicine in their cabinets. However, last month’s Trustees report means that seniors and people with disabilities would have their benefits reduced by $450 per month (based on the average Social Security benefit of $2,071 per month). If Congress does not act, this automatic across-the-board benefit cut could push more than three million additional seniors and people with disabilities into poverty.
Members of Congress have introduced several pieces of legislation that would ensure that the Social Security Trust Funds are funded for the next 75 years. Some of these bills have nearly 200 cosponsors, and others are bipartisan and have broad, popular support. However, almost none of them have ever received a vote. Congress should not wait until the Social Security Trust Fund is empty to address this issue when it can act now to protect and strengthen the Social Security Trust Fund for current and future generations.
The PROMISE Act would create a procedure to initiate Congressional action on Social Security. Specifically, under the Senators’ proposal:
According to polling from the Bipartisan Policy Center, 67 percent of those polled want Congress to take near-term action to solve Social Security’s impending challenges.
The following organizations support the PROMISE Act: Peterson Solutions Fund, Bipartisan Policy Center, Third Way, and Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
"Peterson Solutions Fund applauds the introduction of the PROMISE Act. Senators Cassidy and Durbin deserve tremendous credit for putting forward bipartisan legislation to secure the long-term solvency of the trust funds. Social Security is critical to the economic and retirement security of millions of Americans. An independent proposal from the experts of the Social Security Advisory Board combined with expedited procedures for its consideration in Congress will provide a once in a generation opportunity to address its looming crisis," said Brett Loper, Executive Director of Peterson Solutions Fund.
“America’s current and future retirees deserve a Social Security system that is financially strong and able to meet its financial commitments to seniors. With the trust funds nearing insolvency, Congress cannot remain in entrenched partisan positions. BPC Action endorses the PROMISE Act and commends Senators Cassidy (R-LA), Durbin (D-IL), Tillis (R-NC), Kaine (D-VA), and King (I-ME) for creating a serious bipartisan process to break the status quo of inaction. Their leadership should spur other members—and advocates committed to Social Security’s future—to come to the table, confront difficult choices, and help secure Americans’ earned benefits for generations to come,” said Michele Stockwell, President of Bipartisan Policy Center Action.
The legislation is supported by Romina Boccia of Cato, Jessica Riedl of Brookings, and Chuck Blahous of Mercatus Center.
“For too long, Congress has treated Social Security's rising shortfall as a future problem for someone else to solve. The program is already paying more in benefits than it collects in dedicated taxes, requiring the Treasury to borrow from the public to finance the gap. Over the long-term, the program's financing gap compares to the size of the entire publicly held debt, in present value terms. And with automatic benefit cuts only about six years away under current law, further delay guarantees fewer choices, more uncertainty, and greater disruption for American workers and retirees when reform eventually comes. A process that requires Congress to debate and vote on a comprehensive solvency plan is a critical step toward dealing with the shortfall head on. As Cato polling demonstrates, the American people support a Congress willing to put politics aside to confront fiscal reality before a preventable crisis forces far more painful choices,” said Romina Baccia of Cato.
“The longer Congress waits to address Social Security’s looming insolvency, the more expensive and narrow the eventual reforms become. This legislation will help Republicans and Democrats debate and craft a credible, bipartisan solution that keeps Social Security sustainable for decades,” said Jessica Riedl of Brookings.
"Every year that Congress delays action on Social Security, the choices become more difficult and the consequences more severe. Social Security’s trustees have long warned that the program’s payment and revenue schedules need to be brought back into alignment. This bill does not dictate policy outcomes—it creates a mechanism for forward progress, and that’s what is needed more than anything else. The sooner you treat a dangerous condition, the better the patient’s chances for a healthy future. Once lawmakers are engaged in the process, they can bring their different value judgments to the table and hammer out a bipartisan compromise solution. But first, the process needs to start,” said Chuck Blahous, Mercatus Center.
Cassidy has outlined his plan to rescue Social Security from insolvency by creating a sovereign wealth fund independent of the Social Security Trust Fund. He has written extensively on his proposal in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, State Affairs, and the Washington Examiner.
Cassidy to Introduce Bill to Protect Louisiana Seafood, Rice Producers from Unfair Imports | U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy
Position: Senator Cassidy is introducing legislation to establish tariff-rate quotas on import-sensitive agricultural products including crawfish, shrimp, rice, and catfish to protect domestic producers from what he characterizes as unfair foreign competition and import surges.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) will introduce the Home Market Restoration Act of 2026 to protect Louisiana crawfish, shrimp, rice, catfish, and other American producers from unfair foreign competition. The legislation would establish tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) on import-sensitive food and agricultural products to stop import surges, restore fair prices, and keep American producers in business without shutting down lawful trade.
“Louisiana producers can compete with anyone if trade is fair,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Whether it is crawfish, shrimp, rice, or catfish, America cannot let foreign competitors flood our markets and push our producers out of business.”
The Home Market Restoration Act of 2026 is supported by the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, USA Rice, American Honey Producers Association, Southern Shrimp Alliance, American Shrimp Processors Association, Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA), and R-CALF USA.
“Many staple commodities from Louisiana farms are struggling economically due to foreign competitors dumping cheap, inferior products into our markets. Senator Cassidy has long been fighting to give Louisiana farmers a chance. This bill is a testament to that and would finally level the playing field for crawfish, shrimp, rice, honey and other food products grown by Louisiana Farm Bureau producer members. Congress should follow Senator Cassidy's lead and protect American farmers with passage of this bill before it's too late. Fair trade is all we are asking for,” said the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation.
“USA Rice supports Senator Cassidy’s efforts to level the playing field for sensitive commodities, including the U.S. rice industry. In Louisiana and across the United States, rice farmers have been hammered by the exponential growth of unfair imports over the past two decades, largely driven by illegal subsidies by foreign governments. The influx of cheap imports have forced consolidation in the U.S. rice industry and offshored jobs across the mid-south. This bill provides a pathway toward rebuilding that domestic market share for American rice farmers and processors,” said USA Rice.
“On behalf of America’s beekeepers and honey producers, we commend Senator Cassidy for introducing legislation that confronts years of unfair trade practices that have distorted the U.S. honey market. For too long, foreign bad actors have evaded trade rules, dumped underpriced honey into our country, and driven honest American producers to the brink,” said Steven Coy, President of the American Honey Producers Association. “A fair and enforceable tariff-rate quota would help restore integrity to the marketplace, defend rural livelihoods, and give U.S. beekeepers a fighting chance to survive and rebuild.”
"The United States is losing the ability to feed itself. An unchecked flood of imports has been unfairly driving American farmers, fishermen, and ranchers out of business,” said Blake Price, Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “Senator Cassidy’s Home Market Restoration Act of 2026 fights back. By establishing tariff-rate quotas to stop manipulated import surges, his legislation prioritizes America's shrimpers and food producers. We don't just support this bill to establish a fair-trade regime–we urgently need it."
“American shrimp processors strongly support the Home Market Restoration Act of 2026,” said Trey Pearson, President of the American Shrimp Processors Association. “Domestic shrimp producers have struggled with wave after wave of unfairly traded shrimp imports for decades, and we support every effort to combat these imports and give our industry a chance to compete.”
“America’s tariff schedule is littered with specific duties still priced in 1930 dollars, and inflation has quietly repealed most of them,” said CPA President Jon Toomey. “Senator Cassidy’s bill does the obvious thing Washington has neglected for a hundred years: it indexes the duties so they hold their value. Every specific tariff in the U.S. schedule should be written this way.”
“We applaud Senator Cassidy for introducing this historic and urgently needed reform of our nation’s antiquated tariff schedules and import quotas. Current tariffs on lamb and beef and quotas on beef were set decades ago and have proven ineffectual at protecting our cattle and sheep industries from excessive price-depressing imports that have all but destroyed America’s commercial sheep industry and is causing the rapid deterioration of our beef supply chain. Today over 70% of lamb and 22% of beef consumed in America is sourced from foreign countries. America should not tolerate its growing dependency on foreign countries for our food. This is a threat to national security and Senator Cassidy’s bill will help America’s cattle and sheep producers rebuild our domestic supply chains for lamb and beef,” said Bill Bullard, CEO, R-CALF USA.
The Home Market Restoration Act of 2026 would:
ICYMI: Cassidy Warns Delaying Social Security Reform Will Only Raise Costs, Highlights Plan to Save It in WSJ | U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy
Position: Senator Cassidy argues that Congress must act promptly to address Social Security's insolvency and advocates for a bipartisan plan to invest Social Security funds into the U.S. economy through a sovereign wealth fund mechanism, warning that delays will result in larger tax increases on workers and deeper benefit cuts for retirees.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) penned a letter to the editor in the Wall Street Journal warning that the longer Congress waits to address Social Security’s looming insolvency, the larger the tax increases and benefit cuts will be. Cassidy also highlighted his plan to strengthen Social Security by investing funds into the U.S. economy. This letter comes in response to Joseph C. Sternberg’s column, “The Social Security Trust Fund Deception”.
“The longer Congress does nothing, the larger the tax increase workers will face and the deeper the benefit reductions retirees will endure,” wrote Dr. Cassidy.
“That’s why Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and I introduced our bipartisan “Big Idea” for Social Security to invest funds into the U.S. economy,”continued Dr. Cassidy.
Read the full letter to the editor here or excerpts below:
The Cost of Delaying Social Security Reform
Joseph C. Sternberg suggests waiting to solve Social Security’s looming insolvency in his column “The Social Security Trust Fund Deception” (Political Economics, June 12). But the longer we delay, the higher the cost will be. The program’s funds are rapidly approaching insolvency.
The longer Congress does nothing, the larger the tax increase workers will face and the deeper the benefit reductions retirees will endure.
That’s why Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and I introduced our bipartisan “Big Idea” for Social Security to invest funds into the U.S. economy. The returns would strengthen Social Security’s finances over time, just like pension funds, retirement accounts and state investment funds.
The Social Security problem won’t solve itself. We must act now.
Cassidy has outlined his plan to rescue Social Security from insolvency by creating a sovereign wealth fund independent of the Social Security Trust Fund. Earlier this month, Cassidy released a statement following the most recent Social Security Trustees’ annual report, which predicts that Social Security will become insolvent by 2032. Cassidy also recently laid out his vision during a U.S. Senate Budget Committee hearing in March, as well as last year at a public forum with the AARP and a keynote address to the National Institute on Retirement Security’s (NIRS) 15th Annual Retirement Policy Conference on the future of Social Security. He has written extensively on his proposal in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, State Affairs, and the Washington Examiner.
Cassidy Releases Statement on Dire Outlook for Social Security | U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy
Position: Senator Cassidy expresses concern about Social Security insolvency projected for 2032 and advocates for congressional action to address the program's financial crisis. He proposes creating a sovereign wealth fund independent of the Social Security Trust Fund as a solution.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) issued the following statement after the release of the Trustees of the Social Security and Medicare trust funds annual report forecasting each respective program’s ability to pay full benefits to taxpayers. The report projects the Social Security Trust Fund will become insolvent in 2032, earlier than previously anticipated. This will force an automatic 22% benefit cut for all current and future beneficiaries.
“Millions of retirees are facing a twenty to twenty-five percent cut in benefits which can throw them into poverty and put a greater strain on their families,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This latest report from the trustees is proof that Congress must step up now to protect Social Security before it’s too late. It’s only going to cost more and be more difficult to solve the longer we wait.”
Cassidy has outlined his plan to rescue Social Security from insolvency by creating a sovereign wealth fund independent of the Social Security Trust Fund. Cassidy recently laid out his vision during a U.S. Senate Budget Committee hearing in March, as well as last year at a public forum with the AARP and a keynote address to the National Institute on Retirement Security’s (NIRS) 15th Annual Retirement Policy Conference on the future of Social Security. He has written extensively on his proposal in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, State Affairs, and the Washington Examiner.
Cassidy Defends Jones Act, Highlights Importance for Louisiana Shipbuilding, Economy | U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy
Position: Senator Cassidy opposes waivers of the Jones Act, arguing that the law protects Louisiana ports, shipyards, energy producers, and maritime workers from foreign competition and is important to the state's economy.
(Click here to watch and here to download.)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) delivered a speech on the U.S. Senate floor defending the Jones Act and warning against waivers of the law, which protects Louisiana ports, shipyards, energy producers, and maritime workers from unfair competition from foreign vessels and labor.
“[The Jones Act] supports American industry. In my state, Louisiana ports, shipyards, energy producers, maritime workers, are a large portion of the state's economy,” said Dr. Cassidy.
Source: GDELT 2.0 GKG, filtered to a curated list of national outlets. Inclusion is not endorsement; opinion pieces and reported news are mixed.
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Top PAC donors · 2026 cycle
Political action committees that gave the most to this rep's principal campaign committee this cycle. PAC giving is direct organizational support — industry, ideological, or leadership.
1.AMERICAN ISRAEL PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE POLITICAL ACTION COIdeological7 contributionsPAC arm of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, federalized in 2021. Backs candidates of both parties who support U.S.-Israel security and economic ties.AI$77,063
2.WIN REDParty5 contributionsRepublican party committee — funds Republican candidates and coordinates national party support in federal elections.AI$52,200
3.CASSIDY LEADERSHIP FUNDLeadership4 contributionsMember-of-Congress leadership PAC affiliated with Senator Bill Cassidy — directs contributions to allied Republican candidates and causes.AI$41,166
4.NO LABELS PROBLEM SOLVERS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (NO LAB2 contributions$24,500
5.CITIZENS FOR PROSPERITY IN AMERICA TODAY PACIdeological2 contributionsIdeological PAC — specific policy positions not inferable from the name alone.AI · low$23,350
6.ONE TEAM SENATE MAJORITY2 contributions$18,744
7.2019 SENATORS CLASSIC COMMITTEELeadership1 contributionMember-of-Congress leadership PAC — likely affiliated with a senator or senatorial group. Backs allied candidates and party priorities.AI$11,116
8.NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS POLITICAL ACTION COMMIT1 contribution$10,700
9.BI-COUNTY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE1 contribution$10,000
10.REPUBLICAN SENATE PROBLEM SOLVERS FUND1 contribution$9,982
Source: OpenFEC (api.open.fec.gov) Schedule A receipts where contributor type is “committee.” Aggregated by contributing committee. Self-transfers from joint-fundraising / victory committees are excluded.
Top individual contributors · 2026 cycle
Itemized individual contributions over $200 to this rep's campaign committee, aggregated by donor employer. PAC giving is shown above; this section is people, not organizations.
1.INFORMATION REQUESTED PER BEST EFFORTS$58,403
2.GALLIANO MARINE SERVICE LLC$33,000
3.NEW YORK CANCER & BLOOD SPECIALISTS$28,500
4.BLACKSTONE$28,000
5.WELSH CARSON ANDERSON & STOWE$27,900
6.POSIGEN$27,500
7.APOLLO$26,900
8.HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY$21,500
9.APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT$21,500
10.BOUDREAUXS NEW DRUG STORE$21,000
Source: OpenFEC Schedule A receipts where contributor type is “individual,” aggregated by the donor's self-reported employer. This is a geographic / industry correlation, not a corporate endorsement.
