Issued June 22, 2016
In response to the Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees’ issuance of their annual report – revealing Social Security’s retirement and disability programs will continue to provide full benefits until 2034 – SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry issued the following statement:
“This year’s Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees report should be a wake-up call for elected officials instead of fodder for political extremists. While Social Security has been successful for more than 80 years, we can’t afford for leaders to allow the program to run on autopilot. It’s time to listen to the voices of working families and policy experts calling for an expansion of Social Security.
“Not only must we preserve this major anti-poverty program for future generations, we must also increase Social Security’s essential retirement, disability and survivors’ benefits for millions of Americans. Social Security is the only buffer between millions of today’s retirees and poverty. And it will be a primary source of retirement income for nearly half of working-age American households who have little or nothing saved for retirement.
“The trustees’ report only amplifies the need for lawmakers to change how we fund the Social Security trust. This program was intended to help America keep its promise of retirement security after a life of hard work and playing by the rules; not a tax break for the extremely rich. It’s time for lawmakers to put people over politics by lifting the tax cap on Social Security so every American pays their fair share into the system.”