Shocking Truth Behind the Slight Increase in Social Security Payments – Who’s Really Responsible?

Thank Biden for the benefit boost. I’m responding to R E Kistner’s Public Pulse letter, “Social Security Benefits,” dated December 20. I’m happy Kistner praised President Joe Biden for increasing his monthly payment by $46. I’m looking forward to the comments when benefits are reduced, and inflation begins, when people understand we need strong political leaders to handle genuine problems that do not involve tariffs and tax favors for the affluent. I felt forced to comment since this is an apparent assault on someone who has no connection to the activity in issue. It is a logical fallacy ad hominem, in which the individual is attacked rather than the topic. The president does not influence the yearly Social Security cost-of-living adjustment.

I recommend that anybody interested in how the Social Security COLA is calculated and how it was enacted by Congress in 1972 go to the Social Security Administration’s Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information page.

I sympathize with everyone’s unhappiness with inflation. We should praise Mr. Biden for keeping inflation low if any president has that authority. I’d like to know whether Kistner congratulated Mr. Biden for the 8.7% rise in 2023.