On the campaign trail, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump made a notable promise to retirees: No taxes on Social Security benefits.
Any changes to Social Security would require at least 60 Senate votes, and Republicans would therefore need some Democratic support to pass those changes.
"It's hard for me to imagine that Democrats would be willing to provide votes to get over that 60-vote threshold and weaken Social Security solvency," said Charles Blahous, senior research strategist at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, who has also served as a public trustee for Social Security and Medicare.
The Trump campaign has pushed back on those findings, calling the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget "consistently wrong" in a statement to CNBC when the report was released.
The Social Security trust fund used to help pay retirement benefits is projected to run out in 2033, according to the program's actuaries.
Persons:
Donald Trump, Trump, Charles Blahous, —
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Presidential, Convention Center, Republican, Social Security, Senate, George Mason University, Medicare, Finance, Budget, CNBC, program's
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Palm Beach, West Palm Beach , Florida, U.S