Dear President Obama:
We write today to express our strong support for Social Security and our view that it should be strengthened. We oppose any cuts to Social Security benefits, including raising the retirement age. We also oppose any effort to privatize Social Security, in whole or in part.
You have charged the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform with proposing recommendations that improve the long-term fiscal outlook and address the growth of entitlement spending. It is our view that Social Security--which is prohibited by law from adding to the national budget deficit--does not belong as part of those recommendations.
By 2023, Social Security will have built up a $4.3 trillion surplus, and, without any action, can pay full benefits until 2037 and at least 75 percent of all benefits thereafter. Because Social Security is funded separately from the general treasury and has no borrowing authority, it has not contributed to the federal deficit. Despite these facts, some Commission members have repeatedly alleged the need to cut Social Security for budgetary reasons.
For 75 years, Social Security has been a promise to the American people that if they work hard and pay their fair share, they will have a financially secure retirement. In communities across this country, Social Security benefits are often the only source of income helping families maintain a decent standard of living. Social Security's benefits are modest, averaging less than $13,000 a year, but they are vital to the vast majority of Americans who receive them.
Cutting Social Security benefits beyond the already scheduled increase in the retirement age from 65 to 67 would create even more needless hardship for millions of vulnerable Americans. This is especially true in the face of an economic downturn that has wiped out trillions of dollars that Americans were relying on for their retirement security and the increased dismantlement of the private and public pension systems.
If any of the Commission's recommendations cut or diminish Social Security in any way, we will stand firmly against them. We urge you to join us in protecting and strengthening Social Security rather than letting it fall victim to a misguided attempt to reduce budget deficits on the backs of working families.
Sincerely,
Raul M. Grijalva
Member of Congress
John Conyers
Member of Congress
Dan Maffei
Member of Congress
Lynn Woolsey
Member of Congress
Chellie Pingree
Member of Congress
Gary Ackerman
Member of Congress
Michael Arcuri
Member of Congress
Joe Baca
Member of Congress
John Boccieri
Member of Congress
Robert Brady
Member of Congress
Corrine Brown
Member of Congress
Lois Capps
Member of Congress
Michael Capuano
Member of Congress
Andre Carson
Member of Congress
Kathy Castor
Member of Congress
Judy Chu
Member of Congress
Yvette Clarke
Member of Congress
William Lacy Clay
Member of Congress
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress
Jerry Costello
Member of Congress
Joe Courtney
Member of Congress
Mark Critz
Member of Congress
Joseph Crowley
Member of Congress
Elijah Cummings
Member of Congress
Danny Davis
Member of Congress
Peter DeFazio
Member of Congress
William Delahunt
Member of Congress
Rosa DeLauro
Member of Congress
Ted Deutch
Member of Congress
John Dingell
Member of Congress
Mike Doyle
Member of Congress
Donna Edwards
Member of Congress
Keith Ellison
Member of Congress
Eliot Engel
Member of Congress
Anna Eshoo
Member of Congress
Eni Faleomavaega
Member of Congress
Sam Farr
Member of Congress
Chaka Fattah
Member of Congress
Bob Filner
Member of Congress
Barney Frank
Member of Congress
Marcia Fudge
Member of Congress
John Garamendi
Member of Congress
Alan Grayson
Member of Congress
Al Green
Member of Congress
Gene Green
Member of Congress
Luis V. Gutierrez
Member of Congress
John Hall
Member of Congress
Deborah Halvorson
Member of Congress
Phil Hare
Member of Congress
Alcee Hastings
Member of Congress
Martin Heinrich
Member of Congress
Brian Higgins
Member of Congress
Maurice Hinchey
Member of Congress
Ruben Hinojosa
Member of Congress
Mazie Hirono
Member of Congress
Rush Holt
Member of Congress
Michael Honda
Member of Congress
Steve Israel
Member of Congress
Jesse Jackson Jr.
Member of Congress
Sheila Jackson Lee
Member of Congress
Hank Johnson
Member of Congress
Steve Kagen
Member of Congress
Marcy Kaptur
Member of Congress
Dale Kildee
Member of Congress
Carolyn Kilpatrick
Member of Congress
Mary Jo Kilroy
Member of Congress
Larry Kissell
Member of Congress
Ron Klein
Member of Congress
Dennis Kucinich
Member of Congress
Barbara Lee
Member of Congress
John Lewis
Member of Congress
David Loebsack
Member of Congress
Zoe Lofgren
Member of Congress
Nita Lowey
Member of Congress
Ben Ray Lujan
Member of Congress
Stephen Lynch
Member of Congress
Betty McCollum
Member of Congress
James McGovern
Member of Congress
Carolyn Maloney
Member of Congress
Betsy Markey
Member of Congress
Donald Payne
Member of Congress
Nick Rahall
Member of Congress
Charles Rangel
Member of Congress
Silvestre Reyes
Member of Congress
Laura Richardson
Member of Congress
Ciro Rodriguez
Member of Congress
Mike Ross
Member of Congress
Steven Rothman
Member of Congress
Lucille Roybal-Allard
Member of Congress
C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger
Member of Congress
Bobby Rush
Member of Congress
Tim Ryan
Member of Congress
Gregorio Sablan
Member of Congress
John Salazar
Member of Congress
Linda Sanchez
Member of Congress
Mark Schauer
Member of Congress
Jose Serrano
Member of Congress
Carol Shea-Porter
Member of Congress
Albio Sires
Member of Congress
Louise McIntosh Slaughter
Member of Congress
Edward Markey
Member of Congress
Doris Matsui
Member of Congress
Carolyn McCarthy
Member of Congress
Jim McDermott
Member of Congress
Kendrick Meek
Member of Congress
Gregory Meeks
Member of Congress
Michael Michaud
Member of Congress
Brad Miller
Member of Congress
George Miller
Member of Congress
Patrick Murphy
Member of Congress
Jerrold Nadler
Member of Congress
Grace Napolitano
Member of Congress
Richard Neal
Member of Congress
Eleanor Holmes Norton
Member of Congress
James Oberstar
Member of Congress
John Olver
Member of Congress
Solomon Ortiz
Member of Congress
Bill Owens
Member of Congress
Frank Pallone
Member of Congress
Ed Pastor
Member of Congress
Zack Space
Member of Congress
Fortney Stark
Member of Congress
Bart Stupak
Member of Congress
Betty Sutton
Member of Congress
Harry Teague
Member of Congress
Bennie Thompson
Member of Congress
John Tierney
Member of Congress
Paul Tonko
Member of Congress
Edolphus Towns
Member of Congress
Niki Tsongas
Member of Congress
Nydia Velaquez
Member of Congress
Maxine Walters
Member of Congress
Diane Watson
Member of Congress
Anthony Weiner
Member of Congress
David Wu
Member of Congress
Bill Pascrell Jr.
Member of Congress
Source: http://www.house.gov/frank/pressreleases/10-15-10-potus-social-security.html