Hatch, Ryan and Johnson Call on Disability Community to Provide Ideas to Help Strengthen Social Security’s Disability Insurance Program

WASHINGTON, DC — House Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), Social Security Subcommittee Chairman Sam Johnson (R-TX), and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) today called on the disability community and other interested stakeholders to bring ideas to the table on how best to address the impending depletion of reserves in the Social Security’s Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund. The fund’s depletion has been projected to occur sometime late in 2016, requiring action to prevent across-the-board cuts to beneficiaries of the DI program.

"The Disability Insurance program needs fixing," Ryan, Johnson, and Hatch said. "And while we're working on solutions, we also want to hear from those outside Congress. Almost all American workers pay for the disability insurance program through their payroll taxes, and they deserve a program that protects those with disabilities, promotes opportunity, and ensures that hard-earned taxpayer dollars are used efficiently and don't go to fraudsters. We especially want to hear from disability insurance beneficiaries on how we can improve the disability program together."

The lawmakers are urging the public to take a more active role in developing how to improve the current program and ensure that benefits are there for future generations. Specifically, the lawmakers are soliciting input on:

1. Ways to make the DI program work better for current and future beneficiaries;
2. Ways to improve the financial outlook for the DI Trust Fund; and
3. Ways to promote opportunities for those trying to return to work.

Individuals, researchers, businesses, organizations, and advocacy groups interested in submitting comments should send an email to the following address: ImproveDI@mail.house.gov.  

Additional Submission Requirements:

1. All submissions must be made in the form of a pdf attachment. The attachment should be saved using the name of the organization/individual submitting the recommendations.
2. Please include contact name, organization (if the submission is being submitted on behalf of a group), phone number, and email address in the body of the email.
3. Submissions will be accepted through September 1, 2015, and made public at a later date.
4. If the directions above are not followed, the Committee reserves the right to not include the submission.

If technical problems arise, parties can contact the Committee at 202-225-3625.

Submissions from stakeholders will be reviewed and ideas may be incorporated into Committee proposals.

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