# Is there "money" in the Social Security Trust Fund?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-money-in-the-social-security-trust-fund/695391>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [August 12, 2014, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-money-in-the-social-security-trust-fund/695391 "2014-08-12T19:34:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 137

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**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-money-in-the-social-security-trust-fund/695391/137 "2014-08-15T11:36:41Z")

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> [@Hellestal](#):
>
> Every bond that Treasury reacquires is instantly “resolved” the moment they get their dirty mitts back on the thing.

The bonds have to be repaid, right? Simply possessing the bonds doesn’t resolve the debt - there has to be a satisfaction of the debt.

Directing intragovernmental bonds to be given to the general fund doesn’t resolve the debt - are you expecting for the general fund to simply hold the bonds in perpetuity? Somehow they have to be made into cash so the money can be spent, right? You think we have $3 trillion just sitting in the general fund? No, there would at least have to be new public debt issued to reflect that our national debt would the. Be made up of $14 trillion of basically all debt held by the public.

By saying the bond “goes poof” makes it sound like $3 trillion is simply eliminated from the national debt because the issuer and the holder of the bonds would the. Be the same. That just can’t be done - Congress can’t simply cancel debt that was lawfully issued.

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