By Representative Jerry Moran (KS)
It is only fair that Americans who have paid Social Security taxes get a fair benefit when they retire. Unfortunately, too many Americans get less than their fair share simply because of the year they were born.
My mom is a Notch baby. Like other Americans born from 1917 through 1926, her monthly benefit is less than it should be because of changes made to the Social Security benefit formula. These changes have left Americans age 81 to 90 with smaller monthly benefits than those born before or after them.
To see my mom and other Americans not receiving an equal benefit is wrong. It is especially troublesome that Notch victims are part of the Greatest Generation that saved the world from Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. These Americans represent what is best about our country. To short-change these heroes is unbefitting of the values they fought to protect. Hardworking Americans deserve a Social Security benefit that rewards them for the value of their work.
I am a sponsor of legislation that would compensate individuals who fall into the Social Security Notch. The Notch Fairness Act would provide those born between 1917 and 1926 with either a $5,000 lump-sum settlement paid over a four-year period or an improved formula for computing their retirement benefits.
The Social Security Notch should have been corrected a long time ago. I am committed to doing all I can to see that Congress passes the Notch Fairness Act so that all seniors receive the benefit they earned.
