Major Congressional Decisions on Social Security 1935-2009

The Social Security Act of 1935 established a federal old-age pension financed with employee-employer payroll taxes for most workers in commerce and industry. Congress has changed the Social Security program many times. Amendments to the original Act have: added survivors’ and dependants’ benefits; added disability, hospital, and medical insurance; expanded coverage to new groups of workers; lowered the minimum age for retirement benefits; increased payroll taxes; raised benefits; provided for automatic adjustment of benefits to reflect inflation; and made numerous other changes. This book reviews the major votes taken by the House and Senate in passing the original act and in amending it from 1936 through the present.