Will Mike Johnson try to cut Social Security or Medicare? Where the new speaker stands

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly attributed a piece of 2016 legislation to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

WASHINGTON − After newly minted House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., won the top job last month, he issued a warning to his colleagues about the nation's debt, dubbing it the “greatest threat to our national security.”

“We have to get the country back on track,” Johnson said in his first speech after becoming speaker. “Now we know this is not going to be an easy task, and tough decisions have to be made, but the consequences if we don’t act now are unbearable.”

But Social Security and Medicare advocates have been left questioning what Johnson's speakership could mean for recipients of the services, particularly in the face of another looming government shutdown.

Medicare is a government-sponsored health insurance that covers more than 60 million older and disabled people. Under Social Security, workers pay taxes into the program, and the money is disbursed as monthly income.

Both programs face an uncertain future. Though Social Security still has funding it can rely on, it may be depleted as soon as 2033, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

And the Medicare Hospital Insurance Fund could have only enough money to pay full benefits until 2031.

As Johnson settles in as speaker, it's not clear whether he'll try to make cuts to these services or reform them, which would make it harder for some Americans to receive their benefits.

Will Mike Johnson try to cut Social Security?

Johnson hasn't publicly supported cuts to Social Security as House speaker. But the Louisiana Republican has called for the creation of a bipartisan commission to address America's trillions of dollars of debt.

The push comes after Johnson served as the chair of the conservative Republican Study Committee from 2019 to 2021. During his tenure, the committee released a budget plan that urged Congress to adopt changes for Medicare and Social Security.

The goal, according to the plan, was “long-term solvency” for the program. But it also included cuts to Medicare and Social Security.

That doesn't mean Johnson will target the benefits. As speaker, Johnson represents all House Republicans, from the most moderate to the most conservative.

His earlier views on Social Security and Medicare could take a back seat while he serves as leader. Johnson told reporters last month that, as speaker, he did not want to "predetermine" any policies.

“I think it needs to be an organic decision process that is made by very thoughtful people who have a passion about the issue and have expertise in the subject matter,” he said.

Social Security and Medicare would not be specifically targeted in a future debt commission, but they could be addressed, according to a source from Johnson's office who described the issue as "open to discussion," just like any other policy.

Some of the reforms from Johnson's plan from 2020 included adjusting the retirement age until it reaches 69, which would apply to those turning 62 in 2030 and beyond. He has also supported legislation that would allow recipients to choose when they receive their benefits, among other measures.

Most Americans balk at proposals that would cut Medicare or Social Security, according to a poll from the The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research this year. Seventy-nine percent say they oppose reducing the size of Social Security benefits, and 67% are against raising monthly premiums for Medicare.

What about Medicare?

The new House speaker hasn't said he would single out Medicare as a method of turning around the national debt.

But the plan Johnson led from the Republican Study Committee called for providing "premium support." That could mean Medicare enrollees would receive assistance from the federal government to simply offset the costs of their health insurance plans.

"Seniors could direct this payment to the Medicare plan of their choice offered on a regulated exchange that includes both private plans and traditional fee-for-service Medicare,” the 2020 plan reads.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy floated a similar proposal for a commission to tackle the nation's debt, but Democrats were wary of the idea, and it never became a reality.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have long viewed targeting Social Security, Medicare and other major benefits as a political mistake, alienating voters from coast to coast.

Contributing: Paul Davidson, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Here's where Mike Johnson stands on Social Security, Medicare cuts