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Top Republican: Raise Social Security's retirement age to 70
The Hill ^

Posted on 06/29/2010 8:23:18 AM PDT by Sub-Driver

Top Republican: Raise Social Security's retirement age to 70 By Michael O'Brien - 06/29/10 10:50 AM ET

A Republican-held Congress might look to raise the retirement age to 70, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) suggested Monday.

Boehner, the top Republican lawmaker in the House, said that raising the retirement age by five year, indexing benefits to the rate of inflation and means-testing benefits would make the massive entitlement program more solvent.

"We're all living a lot longer than anyone ever expected," Boehner said in a meeting with the editors of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "And I think that raising the retirement age -- going out 20 years, so you're not affecting anyone close to retirement -- and eventually getting the retirement age to 70 is a step that needs to be taken."

The GOP leader said that Social Security was the most important entitlement to reform, though he also pledged that Republicans would bring legislation to the floor to repeal and replace the healthcare reforms passed earlier this year if the GOP wins back control of the House this fall.

But Boehner also floated several other reforms to Social Security, paired with raising the retirement age, to make it more solvent. Boehner said that benefits should be tied to increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) instead of wage inflation, and he suggested reducing or eliminating benefits to Americans with a "substantial non-Social Security income" while retired.

"We just need to be honest with people," he said. "I'm not suggesting it's going to be easy, but I think if we did those three things, you'd pretty well solve the problem."

Republican have made cutting spending and reforming entitlement programs a key part of their 2010 campaign message.

Watch the entirety of Boehner's explanation below:


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: boehner
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To: Sub-Driver

Rot in hell, Boehner!

Just like a scumbag politician who doesn’t need the money to say crap like this.

I’ve been working and paying into this siphon since 1964, cannot collect full benefits until I’m 67, now he wants to make it 70?.

If I had all of the money that’s been stolen from me for the past 46 years, I could retire now.

Rot in hell, Boehner!


21 posted on 06/29/2010 8:30:42 AM PDT by Frenchtown Dan
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To: Sub-Driver
When SS was first instituted the average life expectancy was 62 (women) and 56 (men) I may be off a couple of years- I am going from my memory, but the point is Social Security kicked in at age 65 - so no one was expected to collect on it, it was a MONEY GRAB

Then when people started living longer, it became a VOTING BLOCK

I feel no sympathy for oldsters who voted themselves their grandchildrens' money

Hey! Why don't we just LOAN OURSELVES $10 trillion dollars- payable in the year 3000 (let THEM worry about it)

22 posted on 06/29/2010 8:30:42 AM PDT by Mr. K (Physically unable to proofread- I swear I try!)
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To: Sub-Driver

If we’re going to keep this ridiculous system, and it appears that we are, then it needs to be done. (Says one who is finally getting to draw his after paying in for over40 years.)


23 posted on 06/29/2010 8:30:49 AM PDT by Past Your Eyes (No matter where you go there are always more stupid people.)
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To: Ancient Drive

You are welcome to be all for it. I am not.

Forget fixing it. END IT!!!


24 posted on 06/29/2010 8:31:18 AM PDT by Ouderkirk (Democrats...the party of Slavery, Segregation, Sodomy, and Sedition)
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To: GOPJ
Republicans need to clear out 90% of the Social Security “disability” payments. It’s going to the same folks who used to get welfare -

OTOH, the average life expectancy of black males is about 65. Thats a whole swath of people looking to get "theirs" through the back door.

25 posted on 06/29/2010 8:31:19 AM PDT by Nonstatist
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To: Sub-Driver

Why not end Welfare and other entitlements first?


26 posted on 06/29/2010 8:31:58 AM PDT by samadams2000 (Someone important make......The Call!)
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To: Sub-Driver

Raise it to 100, then only a few will collect benefits.


27 posted on 06/29/2010 8:32:55 AM PDT by kabar
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To: avacado

I so agree!

The bureaucracy alone would save billions.

If we got rid of all the alphabet agencies in DC there would then be enough workers available, that not one illegal alien would have a job.


28 posted on 06/29/2010 8:33:14 AM PDT by wita
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To: Frenchtown Dan
Rot in hell, Boehner!

He's got his government lottery style retirement benefits...

You on the other hand, can eat dirt.

29 posted on 06/29/2010 8:33:25 AM PDT by dragnet2
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To: SeekAndFind

I have to agree here. I’ve just found a position after being laid off at 53. Took me 4 months. At least I’m not having as “would you like fries with that....yet!”

The problem with SS (interesting abbreviation noted..) is as you say. It is a giant Ponzi scheme. If it were set up as a savings plan instead AND the government stopped raiding it continually, then it would be solvent by definition.

Then we have the discussion of whether the government is a good investor - wouldn’t be nice to at least be in territory where that was the problem set instead of the bankruptcy the system is currently staring at.


30 posted on 06/29/2010 8:33:38 AM PDT by fremont_steve
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To: Sub-Driver; ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas; stephenjohnbanker; DoughtyOne; genetic homophobe; ...
RE :”But Boehner also floated several other reforms to Social Security, paired with raising the retirement age, to make it more solvent. Boehner said that benefits should be tied to increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) instead of wage inflation, and he suggested reducing or eliminating benefits to Americans with a “substantial non-Social Security income” while retired.

This is all Boehner can come up with given all Washington's dramatic increases in spending first under him, then Pelosi? Screwing us again(where's the trust fund? Gone!) to pay for Obama's spending? Don't worry, Congress and federal employees pensions are secured. Why don't they have to work and pay taxes till 70? Here's to all the freepers that have been posting that Republicans would save us.

31 posted on 06/29/2010 8:33:42 AM PDT by sickoflibs ( "It's not the taxes, the redistribution is the federal spending=tax delayed")
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To: SeekAndFind

I think Boehner was exempting those close to retirement from his proposed change in the age to receive benefits.


32 posted on 06/29/2010 8:33:55 AM PDT by HerrBlucher (In the White House the mighty White House the Liar sleeps tonight.............)
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To: Ancient Drive

How about 80? Or 90? The point is to make sure as few collect SS as possible, isn’t it?


33 posted on 06/29/2010 8:34:01 AM PDT by ilovesarah2012
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To: Sub-Driver

well, we could just get rid of all of Obozocare except the death panels

did we have to bring this up before the 2010 elections?


34 posted on 06/29/2010 8:34:38 AM PDT by dforest
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner
Boehner has the rare and exceptional gift of saying the exact wrong thing at the exact wrong time based upon the exact wrong plan.

Exactly. When something unpleasant must be done, you figure out how to make the other side take the blame. Politics 101.

35 posted on 06/29/2010 8:34:38 AM PDT by abb ("What ISN'T in the news is often more important than what IS." Ed Biersmith, 1942 -)
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To: eCSMaster

Boehner failed to mention privitization, which is the real solution. Perpetuating this Ponzi scheme should be a non-starter.


36 posted on 06/29/2010 8:34:52 AM PDT by kabar
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To: silverleaf

3 generations ago life expectancy for a male was 53.6 years.
Coincedently that was the retirement age.


37 posted on 06/29/2010 8:34:57 AM PDT by Cold Heart
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To: Sub-Driver

Yet they allow government workers to retire after twenty years of driving buses in Boston, at age 55 for cops, teachers, and a slew of others, and they retire bureaucrats only to rehire them full time. And, these bastards do not pay into Social Security. They will want our retirement savings taxed to support their government elite pensions. Its a racket. The mob moved from the streets to the govenment.


38 posted on 06/29/2010 8:35:30 AM PDT by LoneRangerMassachusetts
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To: Sub-Driver
"We're all living a lot longer than anyone ever expected," Boehner said...

Yeah, you career politicians live a lot longer today. Best healthcare in the world at no cost, incredible work schedule, perks up the yin yang, a ridiculous retirement wage that you never put a penny of your own money into and no physical labor. Yeah...raise the age to 85...or pass a law that says no one can retire at all. FU

FMCDH(BITS)

39 posted on 06/29/2010 8:35:40 AM PDT by nothingnew (I fear for my Republic due to marxist influence in our government. Open eyes/see)
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To: Sub-Driver

Yet they allow government workers to retire after twenty years of driving buses in Boston, at age 55 for cops, teachers, and a slew of others, and they retire bureaucrats only to rehire them full time. And, these bastards do not pay into Social Security. They will want our retirement savings taxed to support their government elite pensions. Its a racket. The mob moved from the streets to the govenment.


40 posted on 06/29/2010 8:35:40 AM PDT by LoneRangerMassachusetts
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