Press Releases

SPRINGFIELD, MA – House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) issued the following statement marking the 85th anniversary of the enactment of the Social Security Act:

“Social Security’s  85th anniversary comes at the perfect moment to reflect on the critical importance of this program, the very foundation of economic security for so many millions of Americans – and to remind ourselves of the importance of protecting the program from those who seek to undermine it.

“The turmoil and distress currently plaguing our country during the COVID-19 crisis mirror the economic conditions surrounding the enactment of the Social Security program in 1935. But while President Roosevelt sought to give families relief from the Great Depression by guaranteeing their financial security and dignity through Social Security, President Trump is actively working to destabilize this essential American program. For the last 85 years, Social Security has never missed a check. America’s workers have committed to and contributed to this social contract and rely on the program’s earned benefits after a lifetime of hard work or in times of great need.

“I know from my own experience how Americans rely on this modest benefit to avoid poverty. When my parents died, Social Security survivor benefits weren’t just a check in the mail, but quite literally the funds my sisters and I needed to be able to stay together as a family and live with our grandmother and, later, our aunt. Right now, Americans across the country are facing unforeseen challenges that threaten their economic security and they need the peace of mind that their earned benefits will still be there when they need them.

“As part of our recovery efforts, there is no better time than now to safeguard and strengthen Social Security. Yet President Trump is threatening to terminate the payroll tax, the dedicated funding source for Social Security and Medicare. Make no mistake: This is an attempt to undermine Social Security entirely. His short-sightedness is unconscionable, will do nothing to help unemployed and retired Americans survive this crisis, and puts at risk our nation’s most important economic program, Social Security. Throughout my time in Congress, Democrats have fended off attack after attack from the Republicans attempting to privatize Social Security and jeopardize this trusted program. As Chair of the Ways and Means Committee, I am committed to protecting Social Security and strengthening it for generations to come, for another 85 years and beyond.”

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