Press Releases

Today, Rep. Ron Estes was named Chair of the Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee. Additionally, he will continue serving on the Tax Subcommittee and remain instrumental in working with the committee on trade issues.

"Americans have paid into Social Security during their working years, but the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund is at risk of depletion within eight years if no action is taken, meaning beneficiaries will receive an automatic 21% cut in benefits," said Rep. Estes. "We must be honest about the future of this program and work on bipartisan solutions to ensure that Social Security is stable and available to current, near and future retirees. As Chair of the Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee, I’ll work to ensure Congress does not wait until the last minute to address Social Security's impending insolvency. We also need frontline Social Security Administration employees back in the office for SSA to be a constituent-focused organization."

Background:
The 2024 Social Security Trustees Report has estimated that the Old Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund will be insolvent by 2033. If allowed to go insolvent, Social Security beneficiaries will see a 21% reduction in benefits, which is also projected to grow over the 75-year projection period. The average retired-worker beneficiary receives roughly $1,900 per month, and the expected reduction would be approximately $400 monthly, or roughly $4,800 annually.

Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas) was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election in 2017. He represents the 4th District of Kansas, which covers south central Kansas and includes Wichita, the Air Capital of the World. He was selected as a member of the influential Ways and Means Committee during his first full term in Congress in 2019 and has been a fierce advocate for pro-growth tax reform, free and fair trade, and preserving and protecting Social Security. In 2024, he was tapped to lead the U.S. Innovation Tax Team as part of the Ways and Means Committee's ongoing efforts to prepare for the expiration of some Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions. In the last Congress, he also served on the House Budget Committee in addition to other committee assignments.
 
Rep. Estes' interest in fiscal responsibility and being a good steward of taxpayer dollars pre-dates his Congressional service. He previously served as Kansas State Treasurer and Sedgwick County (Kansas) Treasurer, and worked in the private sector before that.