The tax cuts ignore this impact on Social Security's finances

[JayhawkSD]

8. True enough.

But none of that has anything to do with the new tax program having any effect on the longevity of Social Security. It does not cause the program to deplete the fund any sooner, nor does it reduce input to the fund from payroll taxes.

I would take issue with, "The government really hasn't had to borrow as much as thought because the SS surplus has been used to help pay bills." In fact, the government has borrowed that money from the Social Security Trust Fund, issuing Treasury Bonds which are debt in exactly the same manner that T-Bills sold to the public and foreign governments are. Another way to look at it is that Social Security has placed its excess cash into savings in the form of Treasury Bonds in precisely the same manner than many citizens do and for precisely the same reason - because they are safe.

The only effect the income tax change might have is that, in increasing the deficit and causing the debt to increase, it might lead Congress to decide that cuts in the social safety net programs are needed to offset the reductions in income tax revenue. But that is not actually a result of the income tax change, it is the result of idiotic thinking in Congress.