Until now the biggest problem with increasing social security taxes was that social security was running a surplus and the surplus money was just being used to fund new spending in the general budget anyway. So there was no point in increasing taxes. It would just increase funding in the general budget anyway. Starting next year the social security trust fund will start running a deficit. However the trustees say that it is pretty much impossible to design a tax system that would fund the full benefits after 2034. We can cut the benefits by 25% and the current taxes will be sufficient for the foreseeable future. So again there is no point in taking on the divisive issue.
No politician is gong to let benefits get cut by 25%, it is political suicide.
The surplus was always put into the general fund since the law was first passed. It’s one of the main reasons our deficit, debt, and income tax has been so low.
Do you have a link to where the trustees have said there is no tax system that would fund the full benefits after 2034? I have done a lot of research on this and never heard that. In fact in previous reports they have said without increasing taxes or reducing benefits social security can still pay 75% of benefits.(which will never happen as I stated previously).