The U.S. social-security system, administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA), is a cornerstone of retirement, disability, and survivor benefits for millions of Americans.
Senator Bernie Sanders has sponsored major legislation designed to expand Social Security benefits, strengthen its long-term solvency, and shift more of the tax burden toward higher-income individuals.
This article walks through his major bills, their key provisions, and current status.
What is the Social Security Expansion Act introduced by Bernie Sanders?
Senator Sanders is the lead sponsor of the Social Security Expansion Act (for example, S. 393 in the 118th Congress).
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The bill’s objectives include:
- Increasing Social Security benefits for current and future beneficiaries (for example, a boost of around $2,400 per year for retirees).
- Changing how cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are calculated—shifting to a metric that better reflects older Americans’ spending patterns (such as the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly or “CPI-E”).
- Raising the payroll tax or extending it to incomes above the current taxable maximum (for example, applying the 12.4 % rate on wages and other income above $250,000) so that high-income and investment income pay more.
- Boosting the so-called “Special Minimum Benefit” so that low earners who worked a full career would receive benefits at or above a threshold (e.g., 125% of the poverty line).
- Extending the solvency of Social Security’s trust funds by altering revenue and benefit parameters so that the program can pay full scheduled benefits for many more decades.
What is the Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act?
In addition to the expansion act, Sanders introduced the Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act in September 2025.
The aim of this legislation is to:
- Reverse staffing cuts and field-office closures within the SSA, which Sanders says undermine access for seniors and disabled people.
- Make high-income individuals (especially billionaires and large corporations) pay more of their fair share into the Social Security system so that the burden is not disproportionately on middle- and lower-income workers.
- Protect the program for current recipients and ensure timely benefit delivery.
How would these bills impact current beneficiaries and future retirees?
If either of the bills were enacted:
- Current beneficiaries would see their annual benefit levels increase (e.g., the $2,400 per year increase in the Expansion Act).
- The COLA index change (to CPI-E) would likely produce larger annual cost-of-living increases, especially because older Americans spend more on health care and housing than general CPI metrics assume.
- For future retirees: benefits would be more generous or better indexed, and the tax burden would shift so that high-income earners pay more.
- The trust funds (Old-Age & Survivors Insurance, Disability Insurance) would be projected to remain solvent longer, improving long-term stability. (A CBO/SSA Actuarial estimate suggested that provisions in Sanders’ plan would extend solvency through the 75-year projection period under certain assumptions.)
What are the tax and revenue changes proposed?
Key revenue changes include:
- Extending the 12.4 % payroll tax (for Social Security) to all income over $250,000 (or some similar threshold) instead of only earnings up to a cap.
- Applying payroll-tax-type treatment or net investment income tax to investment/business income not currently subject to Social Security taxes.
- Raising the Special Minimum Benefit and indexing it to inflation/poverty so lower-income workers receive a meaningful benefit.
What is the current status of these bills?
As of mid-2025:
- The Social Security Expansion Act (S. 393) has been introduced and referred to committee, but has not been enacted into law.
- The Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act has been introduced (Sept 10, 2025), but likewise is not law yet.
- Both bills would require majority support in the Senate and passage in the House, and are subject to budgetary cost estimates and political negotiation.
- Advocacy groups and senior-citizen organizations report support and press for the bills, but their fate depends on broader budget and tax reforms.
What should you watch for if you’re planning retirement or working age?
- Monitor the progress of the bills: whether they advance from committee, get a floor vote, and ultimately become law.
- If the COLA method changes (to CPI-E), your future annual cost-of-living increases from Social Security may be larger or more aligned with the real costs older Americans face.
- If the benefit boost is enacted ($2,400/year or more), future retirees and current beneficiaries may receive higher monthly payments.
- Tax changes for high-income earners could affect your employer or service provider if you’re self-employed or consult; it may also affect your planning if your income is high.
- While enactment is uncertain, it is wise to plan for possible scenarios of either modest reform or more significant expansion.