Social Security: Benefit Increase and Tax Expansion
The Senate Committee on Finance is responsible for reviewing this bill, but it has not moved since December 11, 2025. Most bills do not receive a committee vote, and this proposal remains stalled without any new action.
No action since December 2025
While the bill has support from many advocacy groups, it faces strong opposition in Congress due to the significant tax increases on high earners and the cost of expanding benefits.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Self-employed individuals earning above the Social Security taxable wage base, currently 176,100 dollars, would gradually pay payroll tax on all of their income by 2030 instead of just income up to the cap. They would also gain a small future benefit credit equal to 5 percent of the extra taxed earnings, but the near-term tax increase outweighs the modest benefit boost for most high earners.
“an amount equal to the applicable percentage (as determined under subsection (d)(2)) of that part of the net earnings from self-employment which is in excess of the difference (not to be less than zero)”
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
The Safeguarding American Families and Expanding Social Security (SAFE Social Security) Act, sponsored by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), would phase out the payroll tax cap by 2030 and calculate cost-of-living adjustments using the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E).
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz has introduced legislation aimed at expanding Social Security benefits for seniors and families. The SAFE Social Security Act seeks to increase average monthly benefits by more than $150 and adjust how cost-of-living adjustments are calculated to reflect retiree expenses.
The Safeguarding American Families and Expanding Social Security Act will increase benefits on average by more than $150 per month and extend the life of the Social Security trust fund. The bill proposes phasing out the payroll tax cap so that taxes apply to every dollar of wages earned.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Safeguarding American Families and Expanding Social Security Act of 2025
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.