Rep. Boehner Advocates Changes to Social Security

John Boehner (R-OH) recently stated his position on increasing the age at which people can claim Social Security benefits.

"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 raising the retirement age by five years, 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."

Of course, increasing the age at which people are eligible to begin receiving money from the social security system does not "raise the retirement age". People are still free to retire at whatever age they want, but they'll need to rely on their own private funds, private or state pensions or family members to support themselves at least until age 70.

In any event, Boehner is completely right. At the time Social Security was created, the average lifespan was 63. It is now 77 and growing.

Boehner's suggestions about raising the age at which benefits can be claimed and means-testing the receipt of those benefits are just a couple of the changes that should be made, so that Social Security is not a drain on the finances of this country in the coming years.