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Insider’s Report: Social Security: 90 Years Strong |
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Social Security turned 90-years-old last Thursday! President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the program into law on August 14, 1935, as insurance against what he called the “hazards and vicissitudes” of life. For a federal program to endure for 90 years and maintain an extremely high level |
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of popularity among the American people is truly extraordinary. It is an achievement that should be celebrated far and wide. |
Social Security turned 90-years-old last Thursday! President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the program into law on August 14, 1935, as insurance against what he called the “hazards and vicissitudes” of life. For a federal program to endure for 90 years and maintain an extremely high level of popularity among the American people is truly extraordinary. It is an achievement that should be celebrated far and wide. |
While we wish we could simply celebrate, the 90-year history of Social Security shows that we must always defend the program from those who would privatize or cut benefits. These forces have been at work ever since Social Security was enacted. |
This year, we already have seen unprecedented interference from the Trump Administration in the workings of the Social Security Administration (SSA) as part of a phony campaign against ‘fraud.’ Severe cutbacks in SSA staff and needless policy changes have made it harder for Americans to access their earned benefits, giving rise to a grassroots “Hands Off Social Security” movement. |
Rampant misinformation and myths about Social Security (spread mainly by the political right) are designed to undermine public support for the program. But knowledge is power. That is why we produced a new documentary film about the 90-year history of Social Security, a program born in the Great Depression that is equally crucial today as a lifeline for seniors, people with disabilities, and their families. |
The documentary, “Social Security: 90 Years Strong,” was produced through a generous grant from AARP and is available for viewing here. As the film reveals, Social Security came into being — and lives on — for a reason: it is part of the fabric of American life and must be preserved for the future. |
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The National Committee endorses the “Hands Off Our Social Security Act” (H.R. 4734), which would, among other measures, protect benefits from unauthorized tampering, delays or changes, block the privatization of Social Security services or administration, enforce strict privacy protections for beneficiary data and prohibit Social Security Administration (SSA) staffing cuts without congressional approval. This bill would go a long way toward restoring the faith Americans once had in the dependability and stability of SSA, helping to undo the harm that has been caused by the Trump Administration’s reckless activities at the agency. |
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Ask Us! |
Whether you’re retired or approaching retirement, our team of experts in the field of Social Security policy is available to answer your questions about benefits.
You can either search our archives for valuable advice on a broad range of concerns or submit your question here.
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This week’s question is: Would you be kind enough to tell me the maximum monthly Social Security benefit one can receive?
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A free subscription, keeps you on top of the latest news about your earned benefits. |
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Your support sustains our campaigns in Washington to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare. |
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Learn more about the Social Security program and the policies the National Committee supports that would strengthen your earned benefits. |
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Social Security turned 90 last week, a milestone that should have been celebrated with reverence. However, the Trump Administration marked the occasion by perpetuating misleading claims about its handling of the program. (August 15, 2025, www.ncpssm.org, Entitled to Know blog) |
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The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare said in a statement that it's been calling for years "for an improved COLA formula that reflects the real impact of inflation on seniors, which the current one (CPI-W) does not." (August 15, 2025, Think Advisor, Melanie Waddell) |
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Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) introduced the Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act to restore SSA funding, prevent office closures, improve staffing and service, protect data, and ensure quicker access to earned benefits for seniors and people with disabilities. The legislation is endorsed by several organizations, including the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. (August 15, 2025, Sierra Sun Times) |
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Social Security Administration field offices across the country may have lost 20 percent of their staff since March 2024, according to estimates by Axios and the Strategic Organizing Center, a coalition of labor unions. (August 15, 2025, The Hill, Miriam Waldvogel) |
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The federal budget deficits caused by President Donald Trump’s tax and spending law could trigger automatic cuts to Medicare if Congress does not act, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported August 15. (August 15, 2025, AP, Stephen Groves) |
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Social Security, celebrating its 90th anniversary, remains a vital yet increasingly threatened program facing financial shortfalls, political disputes over privatization and divergent proposals for reform as its projected insolvency date moves to 2034. (August 14, 2025, PBS, Fatima Hussein) |
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Unless Congress acts before September 30, 2025, funding for the Older Americans Act — which provides vital services like meals, caregiver support and elder abuse prevention — will lapse, making swift bipartisan reauthorization through S. 2120 critical to protect millions of seniors. (August 18, 2025, Rhode Island News, Herb Weiss) |
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Member contributions to the National Committee, a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization, are not tax-deductible. |
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