Tax the Robots: When AI Takes Jobs, Humans Should Make Them Pay into Social Security
Social Security is facing a long-term funding challenge, but a bipartisan group of congressional candidates says the answer does not have to be cutting benefits, raising taxes or increasing the retirement age. Larry Joyce, a retired pharmacist and attorney who currently receives Social Security benefits, is available to discuss the coalition’s proposals for preserving the program without asking Americans to make those sacrifices.
- Larry Joyce is a retired pharmacist, attorney and former congressional candidate
- Coalition proposes FICA payments on jobs eliminated by AI or outsourcing
- Plan would eliminate Social Security’s payroll-tax cap for top earners
- Higher-wage jobs could generate more Social Security revenue without tax increases
- Joyce can discuss preserving benefits while modernizing Social Security’s funding system
The Save Social Security Coalition is calling on Congress to rethink how the system collects revenue as the American economy changes. Its proposals focus on capturing revenue from businesses that increasingly rely on outsourcing, artificial intelligence and higher-paid workers rather than simply placing additional burdens on traditional employees.
One proposal would require businesses that outsource jobs overseas or replace workers with AI to continue paying the equivalent of the FICA taxes they would have paid on those workers. The coalition argues that these companies are already paying payroll taxes and that the policy would simply preserve some of the savings created by eliminating American jobs.
Another proposal would eliminate the income cap that prevents the highest earners from paying Social Security taxes on all of their income. Under the coalition’s plan, someone earning more than $184,500 would no longer be exempt from paying the full Social Security tax on additional earnings.
The coalition also wants tax credits for businesses that employ workers at higher wages. Because FICA revenue is tied to taxable wages, proponents argue that encouraging higher compensation would naturally generate additional Social Security revenue without increasing the payroll-tax rate.
Joyce brings an unusual combination of professional and government experience to the debate. He spent more than 40 years practicing pharmacy in drug stores, hospitals, prisons and mail-order operations. As an attorney, he filed numerous friend-of-the-Court briefs in public-interest cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. In the mid-1980s, he served as Legislative Director of the Juvenile Justice Reform Project at the U.S. Department of Justice.
Joyce also ran for Congress in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District in 1994 and has worked on efforts to improve ballot access for independent candidates. Now a Social Security recipient himself, he can speak firsthand about why preserving the program matters while offering a perspective that goes beyond the usual Washington debate over benefit cuts and tax increases.
With Social Security’s future becoming an increasingly urgent political issue, Joyce can discuss whether Congress can modernize the program for an economy increasingly shaped by automation and outsourcing—while protecting benefits for current and future retirees.
Relevant Article(s):
Robots Could Make Social Security’s Problem Worse – Newsweek
OPTIONAL Q&A:
- What can Congress do to save Social Security without cutting benefits, raising taxes or raising the retirement age?
- Should businesses using AI or outsourcing still pay FICA taxes on the workers they replace?
- Why should the Social Security payroll-tax cap be eliminated for the highest earners?
- Could higher wages actually generate more Social Security revenue without raising tax rates?
- How would tax credits for higher-paying jobs strengthen Social Security’s finances?
- Does the rise of AI fundamentally change how Social Security should be funded?
- What does your experience as a current Social Security recipient bring to this debate?
- Why should lawmakers consider these reforms before turning to benefit cuts or higher taxes?
ABOUT LARRY JOYCE…
Larry Joyce is a retired dual professional: a pharmacist and an attorney. He currently receives Social Security benefits.
He has extensive experience in over 40 years of pharmacy practice in drug stores, hospitals, prisons, and in mail-order. As an attorney, he filed numerous “friend of the Court” briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court in public interest cases. In the mid-80s he was the Legislative Director of the Juvenile Justice Reform Project of the U.S. Department of Justice.
In 1994 he ran for the U.S. Congress from the Illinois 9th Congressional District. He recently has assisted in efforts to enhance ballot access for independent political candidates.
TO SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW, CALL OR TEXT 512-966-0983 OR EMAIL BOOKINGS@SPECIALGUESTS.COM
