Scheme To Cut Social Security To Pay For Family Leave Criticized

From Michael Hiltzik writing for the Los Angeles Times:

The idea of government-sponsored paid family leave is gaining popularity at the state level and in Washington, where Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Ivanka Trump are "strategizing" to bring more Republicans into the fold. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) are said to be interested.

It's a good idea that would finally bring the United States into line with every other high-income nation on Earth, as a recent analysis by the Urban Institute points out. But the Urban Institute also observes that the Rubio-Trump idea for financing the program through Social Security is a terrible idea. It would not only undermine Social Security's fiscal condition, but change the very nature of Social Security in ways that will harm the millions of Americans who depend on it for their retirement.

Given that Republicans have had the knives out for Social Security since its inception in 1935, that outcome may even be deliberate. We'll take the charitable view of the Rubio-Trump idea, and assume that undermining Social Security would be an unintended consequence of their idea. But if they're blind to the consequence, it may only be because Republicans as a party wouldn't really care if Social Security as we know it disappeared. ...

The idea is to allow mothers and fathers to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child, and repay the benefit by delaying their Social Security at retirement or accepting a long-term cut in their Social Security checks. ...