90th

Surveys may be little more than a snapshot in time, but they can provide an interesting peek into the minds of fellow Americans. This year, as Social Security turns 90, the Bipartisan Policy Center’s (BPC) American Savings Education Council polled Americans on how they feel about the current state of the program. Here’s what they learned.

Image source: Getty Images.

The big issues

Whether they’re just beginning to plan for retirement or have been chipping away at it for years, Americans value Social Security. The following represents their concerns, anxieties, and hopes.

Value of Social Security

• 93% of Americans surveyed consider Social Security a valuable federal program. In fact, it was rated higher than any other program respondents were asked about.
• 83% of those asked believe addressing Social Security’s challenges should be a top priority for the current Congress.

According to Jonathan Burks, Executive Vice President of Economic and Health Policy for the BPC: “Americans across the political spectrum agree strongly that Social Security matters, and they want to see bipartisan work to strengthen the program for the future. Now it is up to lawmakers to build on this consensus and do the hard work of forging a path forward.”

Social Security anxiety

• 74% of the public is concerned that Social Security will run out before they retire, and they won’t have access to the program they have spent decades paying into.
• 80% of those surveyed are worried that Congress will cut their benefits, particularly because 41% of Americans expect Social Security to be their primary source of income in retirement.

Bipartisan support for a solution

• 64% of Democrats and 61% of Republicans agree that strengthening Social Security will take bipartisan cooperation.

Losing patience

• As the clock winds down on the Social Security trust fund, 67% of those polled say they want Congress to take action soon rather than wait until the situation worsens.
• 20% of respondents say they want a bipartisan commission created to come up with a comprehensive plan, and they want Congress to approve that plan

Financial realities of aging

• 71% of those surveyed claimed to be worried about whether they’ll have enough saved to retire comfortably.
• 67% are concerned about whether they’ll outlive their savings.
• 74% fear they won’t be able to cover their medical bills as they age.
• 68% of 18- to 44-year-olds worry about finding the money to care for elderly relatives.

The current reality

If Congress doesn’t take steps to shore up the Social Security program, it’s expected that the Social Security trust fund will run dry in 2033. At that time, the Social Security Administration would begin across-the-board cuts of 23%. For example, a Social Security recipient with a monthly benefit of $2,000 would see their checks reduced to $1,540.

While it’s impossible to see the future, here are some of the expected consequences of cuts to Social Security:

• Increased poverty rates: Given the number of retirees who count on Social Security to pay all or the majority of their living expenses, reductions in benefits are likely to lead to an increase in Americans living in poverty. Even for those retirees who did everything they could to maximize their benefits, cutting funds they earned and have come to count on could be devastating.
• Political consequences: No politician wants to be the one responsible for raising taxes or asking people to work longer. That’s natural. However, failure to adequately address the Social Security issue could leave anxious Americans less happy with their elected representatives.
• Economic impact: Lower benefits are likely to cause consumers to pull back on spending. This move could have a broader impact on the overall economy as retirees have historically spent their benefits on essential goods and services.
• Greater pressure on other programs: Smaller Social Security benefit checks mean more people turning to the different government programs to survive. However, recent cuts to programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Meals on Wheels could make it more difficult for seniors to receive the assistance they need.

“The only way we get a fix is if the two parties hold hands and jump together,” Shai Akabas, Vice President of Economic Policy at BPC, said in the report. “These results show that the American people understand and support that outcome. It’s time for our elected leaders to follow suit.”

July 6 (UPI) — The 14th Dalai Lama, the head of Tibetan Buddhism, marked his 90th birthday Sunday with a celebration attended by thousands in the city of Dharamshala in India. The event included politically charged remarks subtly referencing China from U.S. and foreign officials.

The website for the Dalai Lama said in a statement that the celebration was organized by the Central Tibetan Administration, the Tibetan government-in-exile, formed after the Dalai Lama fled the 1959 failed uprising against Chinese rule.

The Dalai Lama did not lead the uprising, but rumors of Chinese plans to kidnap him fueled the resistance, and he was forced to flee to India for his safety — where he established the CTA. Tibet remains tightly controlled by Beijing despite its classification as an “autonomous region,” as does the majority of the population following Tibetan Buddhism.

Since his exile in 1959, the Dalai Lama’s relationship with China has been marked by decades of tension as Beijing condemned him as a separatist while he advocates for Tibetan autonomy through nonviolence and dialogue.

Last week, the aging Dalai Lama signaled that China should refrain from interfering in the process for his succession, while China has increasingly begun to warn off what it views as interference by India and reinforce its position that the succession of the spiritual leader should be held in accordance with Chinese law.

Bethany Nelson, Deputy Secretary of State for India and Bhutan, read a statement on behalf of Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the birthday festivities.

“The United States remains firmly committed to promoting respect for the human rights and the fundamental freedoms of the Tibetan people,” Nelson said. “We respect efforts to preserve their distinct linguistic, cultural and religious heritage, including their ability to freely choose and venerate their religious leaders without interference.”

Former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama also delivered video messages that were shown during the celebrations, praising the Nobel Laureate as a voice for peace. The CTA particularly noted that Lai Ching-te, the president of Taiwan, which China views as a wayward province, had extended birthday wishes to the Dalai Lama.

The birthday celebration also comes days after the administration of President Donald Trump decided to walk back cuts to aid for Tibetans in exile. Penpa Tsering, the Sikyong or, political leader, of the CTA, addressed the cancellation of those cuts in a statement from the celebrations.

He mentioned that a “substantial delegation” from the U.S. State Department and staff from the U.S. Embassy in Delhi worked diligently with the CTA to restore some of the funds.

The Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday has been celebrated with cake and cultural performances by devotees around the world, including actor Richard Gere. The Nobel Prize-winning Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader says he will reincarnate after his death, but hopes that isn’t any time soon.

Cultural performances mark the occasion, while messages from global leaders are read out during the ceremony.

The Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, has turned 90 to cap a week of celebrations by followers during which he riled China again and spoke about his hope to live beyond 130 and reincarnate after dying.

Dressed in his traditional yellow and burgundy robe, the Dalai Lama arrived at a Buddhist temple complex to smiles and claps from thousands of monks and followers who had gathered on a rainy Sunday morning in the north Indian hill town of Dharamshala, where he lives.

He waved and greeted them as he walked slowly to the stage with support from monks.

“As far as I am concerned, I have a human life, and as humans, it is quite natural for us to love and help one another. I live my life in the service of other sentient beings,” the Dalai Lama said, flanked on the stage by longtime supporters, including Western diplomats, Indian federal ministers, Hollywood actor Richard Gere, and a monk who is expected to lead the search for his successor.

Fleeing his native Tibet in 1959 in the wake of a failed uprising against Chinese rule, the 14th Dalai Lama, along with hundreds of thousands of Tibetans, took shelter in India and has since advocated for a peaceful “Middle Way” to seek autonomy and religious freedom for the Tibetan people.

A Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Dalai Lama is regarded as one of the world’s most influential religious leaders, with a following that extends well beyond Buddhism – but not by Beijing, which calls him a separatist and has sought to bring the faith under its control.

In a sign of solidarity, Taiwan’s President William Lai Ching-te, leaders of Indian states bordering Tibet, and three former United States presidents – Barack Obama, George W Bush, and Bill Clinton – sent video messages which were played during the event.

In the preceding week of celebrations, the Dalai Lama had said he would reincarnate as the leader of the faith upon his death and that his nonprofit institution, the Gaden Phodrang Trust, had the sole authority to recognise his successor.

China has said the succession will have to be approved by its leaders, and the US has called on Beijing to cease what it describes as interference in the succession of the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan Buddhist lamas.

Show of solidarity

Guests gathered at the ceremony took turns to speak, including Indian Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, a practising Buddhist, who had earlier made a rare statement contradicting China by backing the Dalai Lama’s position on his successor.

He later clarified that the statement was made in his personal capacity as China warned New Delhi against interfering in its domestic affairs at the expense of bilateral relations.

On Sunday, Rijiju said the Dalai Lama was India’s “most honoured guest”. “We feel blessed for his presence here in our country,” he said.

Cultural performances were held throughout the morning, including from Bollywood playback singers, while messages from global leaders were read out.

“I join 1.4 billion Indians in extending our warmest wishes to His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday. He has been an enduring symbol of love, compassion, patience and moral discipline,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X.

There has been speculation over the succession plan for the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader.

The Dalai Lama has said that he hopes to live for another 40 years until he is 130 years old, on the eve of his 90th birthday, days after he sought to assuage rife speculation over his succession by saying he would reincarnate upon his death.

The Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader was speaking on Saturday during a ceremony organised by his followers to offer prayers for his long life, ahead of his 90th birthday on Sunday.

Leading thousands in the prayers as the sound of chanting, drums, horns rang out, he said: “So far, I have done my best and with the continued blessings of Avalokiteshvara (a Buddhist spiritual protector), I hope to live another 30 or 40 years, continuing to serve sentient beings and the Buddha Dharma”, he said, referring to the teachings of the Buddha.

The Dalai Lama previously told the Reuters news agency in December he might live to 110.

The Dalai Lama has confirmed that he will have a successor chosen in accordance with “past tradition”, ending years of speculation about the centuries-old office.

In a video message on Wednesday, he said the Gaden Phodrang Foundation, which he established to preserve the institution, will have the power to recognise his future reincarnation.

Tibetan Buddhist leaders will search for his successor, he added, stressing that “no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter”.

The 14th Dalai Lama said he had received many messages in recent years from Buddhists calling for the office’s continuation.

“In accordance with all these requests, I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue,” he added.

He made the comments on Wednesday during a three-day religious conference in Dharamshala, the northern Indian town where he has been based since 1959, when he fled Tibet for India after a failed uprising against China.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, the Tibetan writer and activist Tenzin Tsundue described the Dalai Lama’s announcement on Wednesday as a “punch in the face” for China, which governs the Tibet Autonomous Region and which has claimed that it has the power to appoint his successor.

The Nobel Peace Prize-winning Dalai Lama, whom China brands a “separatist”, has previously warned Beijing not “to meddle in the system of reincarnation of lamas, let alone that of the Dalai Lama”.

In response to his comments on Wednesday, China said the Dalai Lama’s succession must be approved by the central government in Beijing and that it would be carried out “by drawing lots from a golden urn”, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters.

That urn is held by China, and the Dalai Lama has already warned that, when used dishonestly, it lacks “any spiritual quality”.