Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act
Sponsored By: Senator Richard Blumenthal
Introduced
Summary
Higher Social Security cost-of-living increases by using CPI-E when it yields a larger boost. This bill would change how Social Security cost-of-living adjustments are calculated so the higher of the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) or the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI-E) controls the annual COLA.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Higher Social Security COLAs for seniors
If enacted, Social Security recipients would get COLAs based on the higher change in CPI-W or a new CPI for older Americans (CPI-E). The bill would require the BLS to publish a monthly CPI-E for people age 62 and older. Until CPI-E exists, an existing research series (R-CPI-E) would be used. The bill keeps the statute's 3% and 2.5% tests. These rules would apply to COLA computation quarters ending on or after September 30, 2026.
Other programs keep old Social Security COLA
If enacted, other laws that tie increases to the Social Security COLA would continue to use the old SSA COLA method. Those laws would not automatically adopt any larger COLA that results from the bill's CPI-E/CPI-W rule. This restriction would not apply to provisions in this bill's title, title VIII, or title XVI. It would apply to computation quarters ending on or after September 30, 2026.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Richard Blumenthal
CT • D
Cosponsors
Kirsten Gillibrand
NY • D
Sponsored 10/27/2025
Ruben Gallego
AZ • D
Sponsored 10/27/2025
John Fetterman
PA • D
Sponsored 10/27/2025
Bernie Sanders
VT • I
Sponsored 10/27/2025
Peter Welch
VT • D
Sponsored 10/27/2025
Sheldon Whitehouse
RI • D
Sponsored 10/27/2025
John Reed
RI • D
Sponsored 10/27/2025
Elizabeth Warren
MA • D
Sponsored 10/27/2025
Angela Alsobrooks
MD • D
Sponsored 10/27/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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