Reid, Harkin, Sanders, Franken, Blumenthal Highlight Republicans' Dangerous Plan To End Social Security As We Know It

Washington, D.C. – Today Senators Harry Reid, Tom Harkin, Bernie Sanders, Al Franken and Richard Blumenthal told Republicans to “Back Off Social Security” during an event with more than 300 of the program’s supporters. The senators discussed the GOP’s dangerous plan to privatize Social Security, ending the program as we know it.

Republicans’ dangerous spending plan also calls for draconian cuts to the Social Security Administration, which could lead to delays in the distribution of benefits.

“Seventy-five years ago, our nation made the promise that if you work hard and contribute, America will make sure you can retire in dignity. That promise is called Social Security, and it’s a promise that must never be broken,” Sen. Reid said. “But Republicans have shown they couldn’t care less about those who have the least. Their plan on Social Security is simple, and it’s this: end it.  They use words like ‘privatize’ and ‘personalize.’  But they’re all code words for the same thing: ending Social Security as we know it.”

“Let’s remember who we are talking about when it comes to protecting Social Security – our parents and grandparents, children and neighbors,” Sen. Harkin said.  “Social Security provides our families and friends with a safety net as they grow old.   Despite that fact, the same people who wanted to leave Social Security to the whims of the stock market in the years before the financial crisis are now using the budget debate as an excuse to give another handout to money managers on Wall Street. The promise of Social Security is one that we must keep and one which we will continue to insist on for future generations.”

“Social Security is the most successful federal program in our nation’s history and we cannot allow it to be dismantled by Wall Street and those in the Republican Party who want to take us back to the 1920s when half of our nation’s seniors were living in abject poverty,” Sen. Sanders said.

“Social Security provides a safety net for Minnesota families torn apart by unspeakable tragedy and allows America’s retirees to age with dignity,” Sen. Franken said. “Social Security has nothing to do with reducing the deficit.  Social Security benefits should not be cut at all, for anyone, as part of efforts to reduce the deficit.”

“We’ve heard all the scare tactics before, but people in Connecticut and across the country just aren’t buying it – for decades, Social Security benefits have kept millions of senior and disabled Americans out of poverty,” Sen. Blumenthal said. “Cutting Social Security benefits won’t reduce our deficit or debt, and the American people expect us to make smart, strategic choices about cutting spending – not to do it on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens.” 

###