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By Ray Hanania
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Congress and American politics is like a shell game in which the truth is slid in circle-eights and from side-to-side, replaced by lies, actions that completely contradict what is being claimed.
Social Security is a good example of how this federal shell game operates and why Democrats in Congress have been lying to you.
On five different occasions since 2012, Republicans have introduced a law to remove the taxation placed on Social Security.
Before I get into that, let me remind you that your Social Security contributions are money taken from your wages after those wages are taxed.
Although you have to dig deep to find it, the Social Security Administration writes: “A worker’s payroll tax contributions to Social Security in a given year are included in his or her taxable income for that year.”
What that means is Social Security recipients are basically paying two taxes on their Social Security income: one at the time of it being collected by the federal government, and up to 85% of Social Security monthly payments that are taxed when you receive them after reaching age 62 or older.
That’s double taxation.
But while Democrats claim they support the continuation of Social Security and falsely assert that Republicans do not, the truth is just the opposite, a shell game ball slipped quickly before your eyes to convey a lie and distract you from the truth.
The Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act (House Resolution 3206) was reintroduced in May 2023 by Kentucky Republican Congressman Thomas Massie.
It is co-sponsored by 24 Republicans, including ones the mainstream news media has consistently portrayed as being “right-wing extremists” like Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), among many others.
It was originally introduced by Texas Republican Ron Paul in 2003 and reintroduced every session since 2012.
“Although seniors have already paid tax on their Social Security contributions via the payroll tax, they are still required to list these benefits as taxable income on their tax returns,” Rep. Massie said. “This is simply a way for Congress to obtain more revenue for the federal government at the expense of seniors who have already paid into Social Security. My bill would exempt Social Security retirement benefits from taxation and boost the retirement income of millions of older Americans.”
“The cost of living for seniors is rising and this will bring immediate tax relief for West Virginians,” said Rep. Alex X. Mooney (R-W.V.). “Seniors worked hard to earn their Social Security benefits and have already been taxed on their contributions to Social Security. The federal tax on Social Security is a double tax and its repeal is the right thing to do for our seniors.”
Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) said, “For decades, seniors have paid into Social Security with their tax dollars. Now, when many seniors are on a fixed income and struggling financially, they are being double taxed because of income taxes on their Social Security benefits. This is wrong and I’m pleased to once again co-sponsor this legislation to repeal this tax.”
Bob Carlstrom, president of the Association of Mature American Citizens Action, released the following statement in support of Massie’s legislation:
“Taxing benefits which were created from already taxed funds is nonsensical and curtails retirement benefits seniors have been promised. Seniors deserve to reap the full benefits of their hard work from career-long contributions to Social Security and the Railroad Retirement Plan.”
You have to stop drinking the poisoned Kool-Aid fed to you by the hypocritical and biased mainstream news media, believing that somehow Democrats in Congress care about you. Yes, they care about your votes and will tell you anything.
The media empowers the lie by attacking conservatives. They lie about the war in Ukraine. They lie about the war in the Gaza Strip. They lie about almost everything because they profit from those lies.
I am not telling you to become a Republican. I am telling you to start thinking for yourself. Don’t vote by political party any more (Democrats versus Republicans)
Vote based on your personal interests first.
For copies of HR 3206 and Massie’s statements, visit Hanania.com.
(Ray Hanania is a former Chicago City Hall reporter and award-winning columnist. Visit hanania.com for more opinion.)