Republicans fight the plan.

Rep. John Larson wants to reform Social Security, improving the program’s benefits and solvency, but is facing steep resistance from the GOP.

For years, as a member of the minority party, Larson, D-1st District, could not get traction on his ambitious plan. But after Democrats won control of the U.S. House last year, everything changed and Larson expects his Social Security 2100 Act to pass the chamber after Congress returns from its summer break in September.

But like many things in Washington, D.C., Larson’s signature bill has fallen prey to the deep partisanship that has plunged much of the U.S. government into gridlock.

More than 210 House Democrats have co-sponsored Larson’s bill, but not a single Republican.

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GOP lawmakers say Larson’s plan will impose new, hurtful taxes on millennials and the nation’s small businesses, especially self-employed people like farmers and day-care providers who don’t split their Social Security tax liability with an employer. “Regrettably, this is not a Social Security reform bill, it’s just Washington pinching more of your paycheck, seizing more of what you earn,” said Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee. Brady also called Larson’s bill “a secret $19 trillion tax increase on workers and small businesses.” Meanwhile, Larson and his Democratic supporters say the legislation is a much needed fix to the Social Security program, which would be forced to begin cutting benefits in 2035 if nothing is done. They also say their proposed increase in the Social Security tax is nominal, especially since it would be paired with an increase in benefits and a new tax break. “Yes, they will pay more and they will get more for that extra dollar,” Larson said. He also said the increase in today’s 12.4 percent Social Security tax would be “the lowest increase in the history of the program.” There hasn’t been an increase in the Social Security tax since 1990. That is posing a problem, especially since about 10,000 baby boomers retire every day. Actuaries predict the trust fund that holds revenues from Social Security taxes and pays benefits will run dry in 2035. At that point, the program will have to rely only on money coming in, which won’t be enough to fund full benefits. Retirees would receive only 80 percent of their monthly Social Security check and further reductions would come down the road. However, the program’s actuaries estimate Larson’s bill would extend solvency into the next century. The Social Security 2100 Act would also change the way cost-of-living adjustments are made. Instead of being tied to the Consumer Price Index, they would be tied to an experimental Consumer Price Index for the Elderly which focuses exclusively on the living expenses of retirees. Larson’s bill also would give older Americans a break on their taxes by increasing the income threshold above which Social Security benefits are taxed. That threshold would be raised from $25,000 to $50,000 for single filers and from $32,000 to $100,000 for joint filers. Low-income workers would be guaranteed a Social Security monthly payment at least 25 percent over the federal poverty level. Less than a latte

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The GOP lauds Larson’s attempt to increase the solvency of the program, but has slammed the lawmaker’s plan to pay for all of this.