CRS Study on Social Security and Presidential Leadership

MEMORANDUM

[2] SOCIAL SECURITY ACT (SIGNED INTO LAW AS P.L. 271 ON AUGUST 14, 1935 BY PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT, 74TH CONGRESS, H.R. 7260). Following a message to the Congress on June 8, 1934, in which he promised legislation on Social Security, President Franklin Roosevelt established the Committee on Economic Security (Executive Order 6757, June 29, 1934). Six months later, the Committee submitted its report to the President making detailed recommendations on Social Security legislation. On January 17, 1935, the President transmitted the report to the Congress with an endorsement of the Committee's recommendations. In his transmittal, the President stated:

     We pay now for the dreadful consequence of economic

[4] SOCIAL SECURITY AMENDMENTS OF 1939 (SIGNED INTO LAW AS P.L. 379 ON AUGUST 10, 1939 BY PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT, 76TH CONGRESS, H.R. 6635). On December 30, 1938, the Social Security Board (a three- member panel appointed by the President with advice and consent of the Senate) submitted to President Franklin Roosevelt its report making recommendations on ways to improve the operation of the Social Security program. On January 16, 1939, the President transmitted the report to the Congress with a statement of his support for the Social Security Board's recommendations:

     I particularly call attention to the desirability of affording

[6] SOCIAL SECURITY ACT AMENDMENTS OF 1950 (SIGNED INTO LAW AS P.L. 734 ON AUGUST 28, 1950 BY PRESIDENT TRUMAN, 81ST CONGRESS, H.R. 6000). On January 5, 1949, President Harry Truman recommended a revision of Social Security law in his State of the Union message. On February 21, 1949, the President submitted two draft bills to Representative Doughton, then Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, urging in a letter that the drafts "serve as a basis for consideration and discussion." Both bills were introduced by Representative Doughton: H.R. 2892 dealt with the public assistance and child welfare provisions of the Social Security Act; H.R. 2893 dealt with Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) benefits; disability benefits; and related payroll taxes. Following hearings on the measures, the Committee reported out a single bill, H.R. 6000.

[7] SOCIAL SECURITY AMENDMENTS OF 1956 (SIGNED INTO LAW AS P.L. 880 ON AUGUST 1, 1956 BY PRESIDENT EISENHOWER, 84TH CONGRESS, H.R. 7225). On June 21, 1955, the House Committee on Ways and Means began holding executive sessions to discuss Social Security proposals, including the creation of Disability Insurance. Members of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (including Assistant Secretary Roswell Perkins, Social Security Commissioner Charles Schottland, Deputy Director of the Bureau of OASI Robert Ball, and Chief Actuary of the Social Security Administration Robert Myers) participated in the sessions. The legislation reported out by the Committee incorporated administrative and technical changes recommended by the Department. President Dwight Eisenhower, however, had not recommended policy changes relating to Disability Insurance citing the adequacy of the 1954 amendments, which among other changes, established a "disability freeze" that precluded the erosion of retirement and survivor protection because of a period of disability (this previous change had been supported by the Eisenhower Administration). Although the Administration may have offered other Social Security proposals leading up to these amendments, we did not find any reference to an Administration bill in our search of the record.

[8] SOCIAL SECURITY AMENDMENTS OF 1965 (SIGNED INTO LAW AS P.L. 89- 97, ON JULY 30, 1965 BY PRESIDENT JOHNSON, 89TH CONGRESS, H.R. 6675). On January 4, 1965, one day after the 89th Congress convened, Representative King and Senator Anderson introduced companion bills (H.R. 1 and S. 1) incorporating the Johnson Administration's proposals for Social Security and other program changes, and the creation of Medicare hospital insurance. (Social Security program changes and the creation of a hospital insurance program for the elderly were recommended previously by President John Kennedy in his State of the Union address on January 14, 1963, and in two special messages to the Congress in February 1963.) Both bills contained provisions similar to those in H.R. 11865, which died in conference at the close of the previous Congress. On January 27, 1965, the House Committee on Ways and Means began 2 months of deliberations on these and related bills. Subsequently, Representative Mills, then Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, introduced a new bill, H.R. 6675, reflecting the Committee's decisions.

[9] SOCIAL SECURITY AMENDMENTS OF 1972 (SIGNED INTO LAW AS P.L. 92- 603 ON OCTOBER 30, 1972 BY PRESIDENT NIXON, 92ND CONGRESS, H.R. 1). On September 25, 1969, President Richard Nixon sent to the Congress recommendations for Social Security legislation. On September 30, 1969, Representative Ford, then Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, introduced a bill containing the President's recommendations (H.R. 14080). On October 15, 1969, the House Committee on Ways and Means began hearings on both H.R. 14080 and a second measure (H.R. 14173) containing the President's welfare reform proposals. (H.R. 14173 was superseded later by H.R. 16311, the proposed Family Assistance Act of 1970.) In January 1970, the House Committee on Ways and Means gave further consideration to the President's proposals. On May 11, 1970, Representative Mills, then Chairman of the Committee, and Representative Byrnes introduced a bill (H.R. 17550) incorporating major elements of the President's Social Security proposals. Although both Chambers approved versions of the bill, no conference was held prior to adjournment of the 91st Congress. At the start of the 92nd Congress, Representatives Mills and Byrnes once again introduced a bill (H.R. 1) containing Social Security provisions similar to those in the House- passed version of H.R. 17550 and welfare reform provisions in the House-passed version of H.R. 16311.

[10] SOCIAL SECURITY AMENDMENTS OF 1977 (SIGNED INTO LAW AS P.L. 95- 216 ON DECEMBER 20, 1977 BY PRESIDENT CARTER, 95TH CONGRESS, H.R. 9346). On May 9, 1977, President Jimmy Carter proposed benefit and financing changes to the Social Security program. The following day, the Social Security Subcommittee of the House Committee on Ways and Means began hearings on the President's proposals. On July 12, 1977, Representative Burke, then Chairman of the Social Security Subcommittee, introduced a bill reflecting the President's proposals (H.R. 8218). On July 21, 1977, a companion bill (S. 1902), was introduced by Senator Nelson, then Chairman of the Social Security Subcommittee of the Senate Finance Committee. Following markup sessions on H.R. 8218, the Social Security Subcommittee reported out a measure containing elements of H.R. 8218 and an alternative Republican plan proposed by minority members of the Social Security Subcommittee. The measure (H.R. 9346) was introduced by Representative Ullman, then Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, on September 27, 1977.

[11] SOCIAL SECURITY AMENDMENTS OF 1983 (SIGNED INTO LAW AS P.L. 98- 21 ON APRIL 20, 1983 BY PRESIDENT REAGAN, 98TH CONGRESS, H.R. 1900). In the spring of 1981, the Reagan Administration offered a major set of proposals to address financing shortfalls in the Social Security program, both short and long range. Subsequent controversy over those measures and resulting partisan tension led the Administration to propose the formation of a bipartisan panel to, in the President's words, "remove Social Security once and for all from politics." On December 16, 1981, President Ronald Reagan established the National Commission on Social Security Reform (NCSSR) (Executive Order 12335) to review the near- and long-term financial condition of the Social Security trust funds and to recommend reforms to extend the solvency of the trust funds. The Commission was to report its findings to the President and the Congress by December 31, 1982. At the time of its final meeting on December 10, 1982, the Commission had not reached agreement on a reform package. Following two extensions of the reporting date, the Commission announced its agreement on January 15, 1983. The overall reform package was endorsed by the President and congressional leaders. On January 25, 1983, in his State of the Union message, President Reagan recommended enactment of the NCSSR plan, stating:

     There are elements in it, of course, that none of us prefers,

[13] We hope this information will be useful. If you have further questions, please contact me at [omitted].