Today, Congressman Richard E. Neal joined Frank Valeri, President of Mass Retirees Association, Shawn Duhamel, CEO of Mass Retirees Association, and Joshua Powers, Director of Government and Community Relations for Mount Holyoke College, to commemorate the ninetieth anniversary of Social Security.
Signed into law by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on August 14, 1935, the Social Security Act is a landmark piece of legislation that marked a turning point in the federal government’s role in addressing economic hardships faced by everyday Americans. Today, the Social Security Administration delivers payments to more than 67 million Americans each month and lifts 22 million people out of poverty, including nearly one million children.
“Ninety years ago, America made a promise. From the dais of the Ways and Means Committee to the stroke of FDR’s pen, Social Security was created to ensure no American would be left to face old age alone,” said Congressman Neal. “For generations, it has protected seniors from poverty after a lifetime of work, given families a source of stability in their darkest hours, and offered peace of mind to millions. As President Roosevelt put it, Social Security was designed to guard against the vicissitudes of life. For ninety years, it has done just that.”
In Massachusetts, nearly one in five residents – more than 1.3 million people – receive Social Security payments, injecting $28.4 billion into the state’s economy every year. This includes 185,955 residents in the First District who receive $328 million in monthly benefits.
“For nearly a century, Social Security has served as the cornerstone of America’s retirement security. The success of Social Security is not simply that the program has helped generations of retirees live a dignified retirement, but that it also provides peace-of-mind that their retirement income is secure,” said Mass Retirees Association CEO Shawn Duhamel. “With the recent passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, which restored the earned benefits of nearly 120,000 retired Massachusetts public employees, we are reminded of just how crucial Social Security is to the well-being of our seniors. It is now incumbent open us to ensure that the program is strengthened so that it can continue to serve future generations of retirees.”
Amid the Great Depression, President Roosevelt called on his Labor Secretary, Frances Perkins, a graduate of Mount Holyoke College, to lead a committee tasked with developing a proposal for a major social welfare program. This committee developed what would later be enacted as the Social Security Act of 1935. As the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet, Secretary Perkins has been hailed as the “central architect” of the New Deal, spearheading a number of initiatives in addition to Social Security that defined Roosevelt’s presidency.
“Mount Holyoke College is pleased to celebrate the ninetieth anniversary of Social Security, not only for its role as a vital safety net for millions of Americans, but as the vibrant, thriving legacy of Frances Perkins, Mount Holyoke College class of 1902. Frances Perkins came to Mount Holyoke College at a time when few women were expected to continue with higher education. However, as the College was forged in dissent from contemporary gender expectations, it was a perfect fit for the intellectually adventurous Frances Perkins,” said Danielle Holley, President of Mount Holyoke College. “She was a remarkable woman whose work continues to improve the lives of ordinary Americans to this day; a bold and boundless leader who broke through barriers and improved lives for everyone. She was the voice of the voiceless and the champion of working people and families. She pushed past limits and, like countless generations of Mount Holyoke College alums, was at the leading edge of change, curious to know and do more. Like our beloved alum, Mount Holyoke College is too bold for boundaries. We think Frances Perkins would be thrilled with our College of students and leaders, engineers and authors, active in the community and unstoppable in our work. Mount Holyoke is deeply pleased to celebrate Frances Perkins and one of her most enduring legacies.”
“This momentous anniversary is not just a celebration. It comes as Social Security is under attack like never before. Under President Trump, a DOGE-manufactured crisis has gutted staff, shuttered offices, slashed services, and put the American people’s most sensitive personal data at risk. Now, his signature legislation has taken half a year off the program’s solvency,” continued Neal. “The threat of privatization is ever more present, with Treasury Secretary Bessent recently citing it as their ultimate goal. Democrats will not let that happen. For ninety years, we have defended, protected, and expanded Social Security. For the seniors who played by the rules, the people with disabilities, the children and families in need, and the generations of Americans to come, we will fight and win. This is a promise America made, and we intend on keeping it.”
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