Bipartisan Senate Bill Seeks to Protect Social Security from Austerity for Next 50 Years
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Senators have introduced the Promise Act, a bipartisan measure that would assign a seven-member advisory board to draft legislation aimed at keeping Social Security solvent for at least half a century, prioritizing public input and resisting cuts.
A coalition of seven senators from both major parties has introduced the Promise Act on Tuesday, attempting to confront the looming threat of Social Security’s retirement trust fund insolvency—a crisis manufactured by decades of political neglect and underfunding, with the latest trustees' report warning of possible depletion by 2032. Notably, the bill avoids the usual neoliberal playbook of tax hikes on working people, benefit cuts, or raising eligibility ages. Instead, it empowers a bipartisan Social Security Advisory Board to craft reform based on the voices of everyday Americans, with the clear goal of safeguarding this vital program’s finances for the next 50 years.
"Congress has known about this challenge for more than a decade, but it has not taken up these politically challenging issues," said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., a sponsor of the legislation. "And the longer Congress waits, the more difficult it will be to address this issue in the future."
The advisory board’s recommendations would be introduced in both chambers by congressional leaders, then sent to committees for hearings and potential amendments. The bill’s passage would require a three-fifths supermajority in the Senate and a simple majority in the House—a high bar that reflects the entrenched interests resistant to real reform. Additional sponsors include Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Sen. Angus King (I-Me.).
Progressive policy groups, such as the Bipartisan Policy Center and the Progressive Policy Institute, have praised the measure for its potential to institutionalize regular reviews and foster genuine bipartisan solutions. Ben Ritz, vice president of policy development for the Progressive Policy Institute, emphasized that the act deserves recognition for creating a pathway to fast-track bipartisan action and for establishing recurring checks to prevent future manufactured funding crises. The Promise Act represents a rare opportunity to protect Social Security from austerity politics and ensure its survival for generations to come.