Tell the Truth about Social Security
Social Security provides benefits to 70 million Americans and for 40 percent of seniors it makes up the majority of their family income. But in just seven years – when today’s 60-year-olds reach their Normal Retirement Age and today’s youngest retirees turn 68 – Social Security will go insolvent. With so much on the line, it’s time to Tell the Truth about Social Security.
The Tell the Truth project is raising awareness and telling the facts about the state of Social Security’s finances, countering common myths and misperceptions, and showing there are achievable options for saving the program. Our goal is to encourage action that saves Social Security well in advance of program insolvency - rescuing it for generations to come, helping to secure our nation’s fiscal future, and providing peace of mind and security to those who rely on the program.
No State Spared: Mapping the Impact of Social Security's Insolvency
With Social Security insolvency less than six years away, and retirees facing a 22% benefit cut upon depletion, our brand new No State Spared report illustrates the real-world impact a similarly sized reduction would have on today's retirees and communities.
Click on your state to see its estimated impact.
Social Security: Just the Facts
Social Security is the bedrock of the U.S. retirement system. And yet, with the program projected to be insolvent by 2032, few understand who the program supports and why it is facing insolvency in less than seven years. This illustrated explainer breaks down, in 12 easy-to-understand charts, how Social Security works, why Social Security is facing insolvency, and what happens if policy makers don’t act to restore solvency to the program.
Marc Goldwein on the Future of Social Security
Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget Senior Vice President and Senior Policy Director Marc Goldwein appeared on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal to discuss our No State Spared report and the projected impact on Social Security recipients and the states if the retirement trust fund becomes insolvent.
Watch the full piece on the C-SPAN website
Featured Op Eds
In support of the goal of raising awareness among the public on how Social Security works and the realities of the financial pressure the program is facing, the Committee has worked to place opinion pieces on these issues in national and regional outlets across the nation. A selection of these op-eds can be found below.
Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget Senior Vice President and Senior Policy Director Marc Goldwein published an op-ed in the Washington Examiner on the tough decisions policymakers need to make to ensure the solvency of the Social Security program.
"It’s hard to understand how anyone hoping to be in office in 2032 doesn’t have a plan to avoid this cut. Unlike many other crises, no one can claim this one took them by surprise. Social Security’s actuaries and trustees have been projecting this coming insolvency since the 1980s. Numerous commissions, councils, and task forces have put forward bipartisan plans to save it. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, also pushed for reform, recognizing the value of acting early to phase in changes gradually and give workers time to plan and adjust."
Read the full piece on the Washington Examiner website
Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget President Maya MacGuineas has published an opinion piece in the Kansas City Star on the new Social Security Trustee's report highlighting the program's impending insolvency and the consequences for Missourians.
"Every year, the trustees who oversee Social Security and Medicare release reports to Congress about the state of these programs. This year's report reiterated what we've long known: Absent congressional action, Social Security's retirement trust fund is projected to be insolvent in 2032, just six years from now, at which point 528,000 Kansans and more than 1.1 Missourians would face automatic across-the-board benefit cuts of 22%."
Read the full piece on the Kansas City Star website
Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget President Maya MacGuineas has published an opinion piece in the Albany Times Union highlighting the Committee's new No State Spared report and the potential $511 benefit cut New Yorkers could face if Social Security retirement trust fund becomes insolvent.
"No state will be spared from the consequences of insolvency, but New York may be hit harder than most. It has the fourth-largest number of beneficiaries, and among its retirees, the average monthly benefit cut of $511 is above the national average. The Empire State’s 3.4 million Social Security retirees and survivors make up 16.9% of the state’s population. If insolvency occurred, the hit would be as large as 0.8% of the state’s economy, which would affect all New Yorkers."
Read the full piece on the Albany Times Union website
Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson published an opinion piece in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette establishing the facts and the stakes on the issue of Social Security insolvency and pointing to the formation of a bipartisan fiscal commission in Congress as being a potentially viable path toward compromise.
"There's a lot to figure out and not a lot of time left to do the figuring. That's why I've advocated for those in Washington with the ability to do something about this to establish a bipartisan commission – just as they did in the 1980s when we last faced this problem – to reach across the political aisle and put forward solutions. The Commission on the Future of Social Security needs to get to work now to build consensus and to send a blueprint to Congress for action.
This type of bipartisan commission with congressional and administrative support has worked before to solve problems and it is, most likely, the only way to solve this problem today."
Read the full piece on the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's website
Former Colorado Senator Mark Udall and former Representative Bob Beauprez published an opinion piece in The Denver Post on the impending insolvency data and the possible effects on Coloradans.
"2032 may seem a long way off, but having served Coloradans in the Senate and the House, we know firsthand just how fast the years fly by – and, how slowly the wheels of change turn in Congress.
This November, Coloradans will cast their ballots for who they want to represent them for the next six years in the Senate. That means this issue has finally reached the ballot box – insolvency will hit in the final year of the term for those elected to the Senate.
As citizens, each of us has a responsibility to press our elected officials for solutions. We can start by asking one simple question: What’s your plan to save Social Security?"
Read the full piece on The Denver Post's website
Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget President Maya MacGuineas published an opinion piece in The Carolina Journal focused on Social Security, including the financial constraints facing its retirement trust fund and the need for lawmakers to address the program's looming insolvency before automatic benefit cuts occur.
"...Saving Social Security will not be easy. Few issues have been subject to more myths, falsehoods, and outright lies than Social Security. Even fewer issues bring out the army of special interest groups committed to keeping the status quo through demagoguery, political attacks, and fear mongering.
And yet, we’ve been here before. In 1983, both parties came together to forge a plan that not only saved the program but also extended its solvency by five decades. We can do that again."
Read the full piece on The Carolina Journal's website
Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget President Maya MacGuineas has published a series of opinion pieces in The Dallas Morning News focused on Social Security, including the financial constraints facing its retirement trust fund and the need for lawmakers to address the program's looming insolvency before automatic benefit cuts occur.
The series includes four installments:
- The Time to Start Voting About Social Security is Now: Explains how the Social Security trust fund works, why it is going insolvent, and what happens if lawmakers do not take action.
- Myths and Fearmongering are Driving Social Security to Insolvency: Explains how pervasive myths, fearmongering, and demagoguery have obstructed Social Security reform efforts for decades.
- Here's How to Fix Social Security: Presents thoughtful reform options for addressing Social Security's revenues and benefits to ensure solvency for future generations.
- America Needs a Social Security Commission: Highlights a practical path forward for the program with a proposal for a commission - an approach Congress has successfully done in the past.
Events
As part of our work to raise public awareness and engagement around Social Security’s worsening outlook, Tell the Truth has hosted and participated in a range of events. Below are some of our most recent events.
Checking in on the Social Security & Medicare Trust Funds
June 10, 2026
On June 10, 2026, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget hosted a virtual event, Checking in on the Social Security & Medicare Trust Funds. The Social Security Administration’s Chief Actuary, Karen Glenn, gave an overview of the 2026 Social Security Trustees’ Report, followed by a panel discussion from the Committee’s policy experts, including Senior Policy Director Marc Goldwein, Health Policy Director Anna Bonelli, and Social Security Policy Director Mark Sarney.
Click HERE to watch the event
What's Next for Social Security?
April 10, 2026
On April 10, 2026, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget Senior Vice President and Senior Policy Director Marc Goldwein spoke at Barron’s “What’s Next for Social Security.” This virtual event, watched by more than 1,000 viewers, featured a discussion about why the program is facing a shortfall and potential fixes.
Click HERE to watch the event
Social Security: Just the Facts
February 25, 2026
Coinciding with the release of Social Security: Just the Facts, the Committee hosted a February 25 virtual event with the same title. Committee Vice President Ben Tomchik and Director of Social Security Policy Mark Sarney gave an overview of the program, debunked common myths and misconceptions, and took audience questions.
Click HERE to watch the event
Checking in on the Social Security & Medicare Trust Funds
June 24, 2025
On Tuesday, June 24th, 2025, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget hosted a virtual event to explore the financial state of these vital programs, the consequences of delaying action, and the policy options available to extend their solvency. The event featured a presentation from the Chief Actuary of the Social Security Administration Karen Glenn and a discussion with experts at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget – who also fielded audience questions.
Click HERE to watch the event | Click HERE to view the slide deck
Media Highlights
The Committee's work to raise public awareness about Social Security's challenges and potential policy solutions has translated into over 1,300 syndicated media mentions across more than 100 outlets, ranging from high-profile national hits to regional coverage in all 50 states. A sample of some of our media coverage on this issue can be found below.
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CBS News: Social Security recipients face looming benefit cuts. Can the program be saved?
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MS Now: Opinion | Trump is accelerating our Social Security insolvency crisis
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Dallas Morning News: Social Security checks for retired Texans could drop in 2032 if Congress doesn’t act
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NPR: Social Security funds could run short by 2032, program's Trustees warn
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CBS News: Social Security insolvency now projected for 2032, putting benefits at risk of a 22% cut
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USA Today: Social Security fund slated to be empty in 2032. Eyes move to Congress
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Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Nonprofit says Social Security recipients will face 24% cuts in benefits if U.S. exhausts fund in 2032
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Deseret News: Opinion | How would a Social Security collapse play out?
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C-SPAN "Washington Journal": Marc Goldwein on the Future of Social Security
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CBS: Your Social Security check could be cut by $500 a month in 2032, report finds
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Newsweek: Social Security Recipients Face Losing $500 a Month in 2032—Map Shows Where
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Austin American Statesman: When will Social Security run out of funds? New report says sooner than expected
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USA Today: The clock's ticking faster towards Social Security fund depletion
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Dallas Morning News: No cuts to Social Security
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Boston Globe: Opinion | Mitt Romney puts a spotlight on Social Security’s looming shortfall
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Wall Street Journal: The Next Class of Senators Won’t Be Able to Dodge the Social Security Crunch
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Barron's: Social Security’s Bad Math: If Congress Doesn’t Act, Retirees Will Lose $18,000 a Year
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Indianapolis Star: Opinion | Social Security is holding Gen Z hostage while protecting wealthy boomers
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Columbus Dispatch: Opinion | Major Social Security benefits cuts are coming up fast. Congress must act.
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Fiscal Times: Social Security ‘Looks More Threatened Than Ever’ as It Turns 90
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Washington Examiner: As Social Security turns 90, Congress faces deadline to prevent benefit cuts
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Fox Business: Tax changes will make Social Security go insolvent sooner than previous estimate
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Deseret News: Opinion | Opinion: Time is running out to save Social Security. Utah can’t afford to wait
Read more Tell the Truth media coverage HERE.