Democrats can end poverty in America by fixing this one program

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program is a little-known program in the United States. But if reformed, it can become the program that helps end poverty in America.

SSI pays monthly benefits to disabled children, disabled adults and elderly persons with limited income and resources. The program also generally establishes Medicaid coverage for these groups. Although SSI reforms are unlikely to occur with Republicans controlling the House of Representatives, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) should take the long view and start positioning Democrats to strengthen this program.

Why? To put it directly, many of his constituents rely on the program and need help.

According to data published by the Social Security Administration, about 44,000 individuals receiving SSI reside in Jeffries’s congressional district. Among the 435 House districts, Jeffries’s district has the sixth-highest number of SSI recipients.

SSI recipients need help because the maximum benefit under the program is only 75 percent of the official poverty level. This means that many of Jeffries’s constituents who cannot work because of advanced age or disability are forced to live in poverty.

SSA’s data allows for the ranking of House districts in the 117th Congress from highest to lowest in terms of the number of SSI recipients. The top 10 districts from the 117th are as follows:

1. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y., 15)
2. Harold Rogers (R-Ky., 5)
3. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.,13)
4. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla., 24)
5. Dwight Evans (D-Pa., 3)
6. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y., 8)
7. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa., 2)
8. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich., 13)
9. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Fla., 25)
10. Carlos Giménez (R-Fla., 26)

Among the seven Democrats in these districts, six are members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, or the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Two of the three Republicans in these districts are members of the Congressional Hispanic Conference.

Data from the Census Bureau illustrates the importance of SSI to Black Americans. For each age group in the Census data, Black Americans are about three times as likely to receive SSI as white Americans.

Among the elderly, Census data reveal that Asian Americans are four times as likely as white Americans to receive SSI, and Hispanics are four times as likely as non-Hispanics to receive SSI.

Recent news reports indicate the Congressional Black Caucus is launching a super PAC in an effort to secure a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives, which would give Jeffries the Speaker’s gavel. Should that occur, Democrats will likely try to advance a number of legislative initiatives.

Jeffries might wish to consider something historic — namely, raising the SSI benefit amount to a level that prevents poverty. Eliminating poverty among elderly and disabled citizens has been a multi-decade policy goal, and concerted action in the next Congress could bring it to fruition.

Reforming SSI would reflect the foundational values of important congressional groups, such as the CBC and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

The CBC came into existence to be the “Conscience of the Congress” and to fight for “the most vulnerable among us.” Similarly, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus was founded to counter “neglect, exclusion and indifference.”

Clearly, individuals with severe health problems or advanced age that live in poverty constitute some of the most vulnerable and neglected individuals in the United States.

Social Security data indicates the importance of SSI to lawmakers from the CBC and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Across House districts represented by members of these caucuses, the average number of SSI recipients is 24,500 — 57 percent higher than the average number in other districts in Congress.

Jeffries can build on some momentum that has been created in policymaking circles. Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) introduced the “Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act” in the 117th Congress, which would raise SSI benefits.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, pledged in an interview this summer with NPR to bring SSI into the 21st century by increasing benefits and modernizing its rules. It is also worth noting that President Biden campaigned in 2020 on a pledge to increase SSI benefits.

While there has been recent interest in reforming SSI in the policymaking community, the reality is that the program is still largely unchanged since its beginnings in the 1970s. Should Jeffries become Speaker of the House in the next Congress, he might be able to close the gap between talking about reform and actually enacting legislation to help disabled and elderly Americans.

David A. Weaver, Ph.D., is an economist and retired federal employee who has authored a number of studies on the Social Security program. His views do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization.