Levin: Women Have a Huge Stake in Social Security Debate Forum on Hill today showcases importance to millions of American women

Levin: Women Have a Huge Stake in Social Security Debate Forum on Hill today showcases importance to millions of American women

Washington, D.C. - The Democratic Women's Working Group held their first National Forum today on Capitol Hill to discuss the importance of Social Security to American women. Rep. Levin helped kick-off the event, featuring women members of Congress, national women's organizations and concerned citizens. The forum showcased the important role Social Security has played for generations of American women, as well as the drastic impact privatization would have on future recipients of survivors, disability and retirement benefits.

"Social Security has meant independence for millions of American women," said Rep. Levin. "Women are the caretakers of our nation's families, whether they are caring for our children or our parents, they are in a unique position to understand the real impact of deep cuts in Social Security benefits for middle-class families and the shriveling of Social Security's guaranteed benefit. Privatization would have a devastating impact, not only on retirees, but on widows, whose survivors benefits would be drastically reduced under the president's proposals, replacing a trusted, guaranteed benefit with a risky gamble."

The forum focused on "Families and Children" and "Women in the Workforce," and included experts from the National Women's Law Center, the National Partnership for Women and Families, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Business and Professional Women/USA, and the YWCA. Several middle class citizens concerned about the future of Social Security also testified to the Members of Congress about the impact this proposal would have on their families and their lives.

Social Security provides retirement and economic security to the more than 24 million women receiving Social Security. Women make up 58 percent of seniors receiving Social Security, and without Social Security, 53 percent of all senior women would live in poverty. In 2000, Social Security kept 7 million senior women from falling into poverty.

During the forum, a number of participants highlighted the fact that Republican cuts would apply to survivor benefits and could apply to disability benefits, which would particularly harm women. More than 7.5 million women on Social Security and 2.7 million children under 18 receive disability or survivor benefits, both drastically cut under Republican proposals for private accounts and sliding scale benefit cuts. In addition, survivors would be required to pay a privatization tax, typically 70 percent, on any private account left to them even as they face the tragedy of losing their loved one.

Forum participants included House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Representatives Hilda Solis and Lois Capps (D-CA, co-Chairs of the Democratic Women's Working Group), Reps. Stephanie Tubbs-Jones (D-OH, member of the House Ways and Means Committee), Grace Napolitano (D-CA, Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA).

http://www.house.gov/levin/pr_051005.html