Lummis Calls For Slow Change To Retirement Age

Wyoming's Congressional Representative has introduced legislation that she says will help keep social security viable by slowly raising the retirement age.

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Under the plan from U.S.  Representative Cynthia Lummis the social security retirement age would start to go up in 2024 in phases.

"My proposal does not effect people who are in their fifty's, sixty's, seventy's, eighty's, ninety's or one hundreds. It only effects those who are 49 and younger."

In an interview with Fox News Lummis explained that a 49-year-old would see their retirement age increase by one month, a 35 year old by one year, and a nineteen year old would see their retirement age go up two years. Lummis believes resolving problems with social security need not be complicated.

"Quite frankly, its the most commonly understood of the entitlements in terms of how to reform it. its just that people don't have the courage do it and I thinks its easier if we start with the most simple of the reforms."

Lummis says action is needed now, because the social security program is at risk of becoming insolvent in 2037. Inaction, she says, would lead to significant cuts and changes at that point.

"There's going to be an instant decline of 22 percent in benefits followed by steeper declines over time. And so we have to reform it to save it."