By Ann Burch
(Big Beautiful) Bill
Here’s how the letter begins:
“The Social Security Administration is celebrating the passage of the One Big, Beautiful Bill, a landmark piece of legislation that delivers long-awaited tax relief to millions of older Americans.”
I’ve been receiving Social Security for the past 12 years and before that I was the Representative Payee for my aging mother for 7 years in the ‘90s. I’m very familiar with the standard business, non-partisan governmental language used by SSA to communicate with its beneficiaries. I have NEVER received anything that acknowledged the current administration – Democrat or Republican.
As Social Security recipients, we have a symbiotic relationship with the federal government that our personal information will be secure and not used to promote any political agenda. There is also an expectation that the information sent to us is accurate. This is exactly what folks were concerned about when Musk and his Doge crew gained access to SSA’s database.
Here’s the definition of propaganda:
Propaganda is the strategic dissemination of information, often biased or misleading, to influence public opinion or behavior. It aims to promote a particular political cause, ideology, or product, sometimes by appealing to emotions rather than logic. Key words are biased, misleading, influence and appeal to emotions, remember these as I explain further.
The letter continues, “The bill ensures that nearly 90% of Social Security beneficiaries will no longer pay federal income taxes on their benefits, providing meaningful and immediate relief to seniors who have spent a lifetime contributing to our nation’s economy.”
Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano wrote in the letter, “This is a historic step forward for America’s seniors. For nearly 90 years, Social Security has been a cornerstone of economic security for older Americans. By significantly reducing the tax burden on benefits, this legislation reaffirms President Trump’s promise to protect Social Security and helps ensure that seniors can better enjoy the retirement they’ve earned.”
Biased and misleading: the Big, Beautiful Bill does not eliminate federal income tax on Social Security benefits. Nearly 90 percent of Social Security’s 64 million beneficiaries already don’t pay income tax on their Social Security benefits because the amount received is under the $25,000 annual threshold for a single person and less than $32,000 for a couple filing jointly. (Of course, if you have additional income pension etc., then your Social Security is added to that income and would be taxed accordingly.)
The letter further states the new law “provides an enhanced deduction for tax payers aged 65 and older, ensuring that retirees can keep more of what they have earned.”
Biased and misleading: the Big Beautiful Bill does give taxpayers a temporary tax deduction of up to $6,000 for seniors ages 65 and older, and $12,000 for married couples. But the deduction has nothing to do with Social Security. It’s a standard tax deduction increase for those 65 and older and it’s only available for the tax years 2025 and 2026.
The letter ends with, “Social Security remains committed to providing timely, accurate information to the public and will continue working closely with federal partners to ensure beneficiaries understand how this legislation may affect them.”
Influence and appeal to emotions: The federal government is not my BFF. They don’t need to pretend that they care about me. But I do want them to be accurate and not fallacious in their communications, and to not use and abuse my personal information for political propaganda.