Glenn English: “Right now the Social Security system places a higher tax penalty on working seniors than on billionaires. We have been…”

“Right now the Social Security system places a higher tax penalty on working seniors than on billionaires. We have been sending seniors the message that when they hit retirement age, we do not want them anymore. The earnings limit that was created 60 years ago is a relic of Depression era economics that says that seniors should make room for younger workers. But we all know, seniors add more to the workforce and more to the economy than they could ever take away. They add their years of experience and their talents. H.R. 5 repeals the earnings limit which unfairly punishes seniors who earn more than $17,000 a year. That is not a lot. This legislation has received virtually unanimous support in the House and Senate, but more importantly, a ground swell of support from our constituents. After all, a 65-year-old who works as a barber or a cashier currently loses $500 in benefits just because they have earned $18,500 a year. That is absurd. This arbitrary limit serves as a barrier to many low- and middle-income seniors who need to work in order to improve their quality of life or even to make ends meet.”