HR 9415: Safeguarding American Families and Expanding Social Security Act of 2026

HR 9415 in plain English: This bill would make changes to Social Security benefit calculations, including setting a specific dollar threshold of $6,300 for certain benefit computations. The bill also includes provisions related to rounding rules for primary insurance amounts.

Stated purpose

This bill aims to improve retirement security for American families by increasing Social Security benefits for current and future recipients while also strengthening Social Security's finances for future generations.

Key points

• Sets a $6,300 threshold used in Social Security benefit calculations
• Establishes rounding rules for benefit amounts, rounding to the nearest $1

Arguments supporters make

• Raising taxes on higher earnings brings in new revenue that helps keep Social Security solvent longer, protecting benefits for millions of retirees who depend on the program.
• Using a price index tailored to what seniors actually buy — such as health care — means benefit increases would better keep up with the real costs older Americans face.
• Expanding benefits now addresses the retirement insecurity many working families face, especially those with few other savings or pension income.

Arguments opponents make

• Higher-earning workers would pay more into Social Security than the benefit formula credits them for, effectively turning part of the payroll tax into a general revenue tax rather than a retirement contribution.
• Raising payroll taxes on wages and self-employment income could increase labor costs for businesses and reduce take-home pay for affected workers, potentially discouraging hiring or self-employment.
• Increasing benefits without a comprehensive long-term financing plan may only delay the program's funding shortfall rather than solving it, leaving the burden to future taxpayers.

Tradeoffs

Raising taxes on higher earners generates revenue to expand and preserve benefits, but does so by increasing costs for that group and their employers; the bill improves near-term benefit adequacy for current retirees while the long-term fiscal balance depends on whether new revenues fully offset the higher benefit commitments.

Current status in Congress: In committee.

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