U.S. Rep. Doggett and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare Call Payroll Tax Holiday Bad Break for Families

"Social Security's dedicated funding base is jeopardized by this deal in an unprecedented way and there is a grave risk now that the retirement benefits of America's workers will have to compete with our other priorities for a share of the general budget. It would result in Social Security being as dependent on annual Congressional action as public television or our National parks," said Rep. Doggett.

He added: "The provision is also inequitable because, in many states, a substantial number of local and state employees do not participate in the Social Security system. They have no payroll taxes to cut and will receive no benefit from this portion of the deal."

"Although the payroll tax cut is written as a one-year cut, there is a grave danger that it will not end up being a single year reduction but will be transformed into a permanent change in Social Security's financing. The fact that it is included in a piece of legislation that is providing yet another extension of almost a Trillion dollars in tax cuts that were also intended to be temporary should give pause to anyone who believes it will be easy to let this cut lapse at the end of 2011," said Max Richtman, Executive Vice President, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.