The Alarming Threat to Social Security
The Great Depression left millions of Americans struggling — especially seniors who had lost their savings and were unable to work. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Bill into law as part of the New Deal to provide a safety net for those facing financial insecurity.
The program has since become one of the most enduring and important government programs in history, providing critical support to millions of Americans through:
- Reliable income: providing financial assistance to retired workers through regular payments, ensuring a basic level of income in their later years.
- Retirement protection: Almost all workers in the United States participate in Social Security through payroll tax contributions. Seniors have spent a lifetime contributing to Social Security, and they are entitled to the benefits they have earned.
- Uplifting vulnerable populations: Social Security lifts above the poverty line both vulnerable seniors and children, who would otherwise lack critical access to an economic safety net. Additionally, Social Security is particularly important for people of color as they face racial disparities connected both to work and health.
Data from AARP shows that nearly one in five Washingtonians — 1.4 million people — receive Social Security benefits, and 36% of residents 65 and older rely on the program for at least half of their income. Most of these folks have been paying into Social Security and using the benefits for decades.
But Social Security is under attack. At the end of March, my Republican colleagues released their desired budget for 2025 and I am disheartened to see that they continue to push for more cuts to essential programs including Social Security.
This is a prime example of what is at stake in November. Will you chip in $14 to my campaign and help ensure Democrats reclaim the House?
MAGA extremists are willing to ignore and undermine the needs of their own constituents. They are eager to strip away vital programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid just to propel their own agendas — and we simply cannot allow that to happen.
As a long-time advocate for Social Security, I will continue to defend this program and others that help ensure a dignified life for all regardless of socioeconomic status.
More soon,
Rick
