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Insider’s Report: Social Security Injects Billions into State and Local Economies |
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At a time when Social Security continues to be the go-to solution for some in Washington to reduce soaring national debt and pay for unrelated fiscal priorities, the National Committee is working to remind our elected officials, the media and the public about the program’s immense contribution to the economy. |
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Every year, Social Security pays out $1.6 trillion in benefits to some 69 million Americans who spend that money in their communities — providing economic stimulus on the local, state and national levels. |
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Yet despite this clear evidence of Social Security’s effectiveness, so-called “fiscal hawks” in Washington continue to call for dangerous benefit cuts at a time when more than 10,000 Americans turn 65 every day. The truth is, cutting Social Security or handing over control of earned benefits to Wall Street will not only harm beneficiaries, it will hurt the entire economy of your state. |
Lawmakers pounding the drum for reductions in earned benefits must ask themselves whether their communities can afford to lose billions of dollars in economic stimulus — not to mention the baseline financial security that these earned benefits provide retirees and their families. |
The answer for anyone who seeks to represent the people should be a resounding “No.” |
That’s why the National Committee is urging all members of Congress and the Trump Administration to stop using Social Security as a scapegoat for reckless and costly tax giveaways to the rich — and support legislation now pending in Congress, including the “Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act” (S. 2614/H.R. 4968), that would strengthen the financial condition of the trust funds, delaying their depletion date and enabling them to pay full benefits for decades to come. |
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Check Out Our New Documentary on Social Security |
This year we are celebrating Social Security’s 90th birthday! Have you ever wondered how Social Security got started? It’s an exciting story that began during the 1930s and continues today. You can see it yourself in our new documentary film, “Social Security: 90 Years Strong.” View the full documentary here and the movie trailer here. |
We wouldn’t have Social Security today if it wasn’t for the vision of President Franklin D. Roosevelt — and the persistence of his Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkins. Over the years, Republican and Democratic presidents signed legislation to expand Social Security to insure Americans against what FDR called “the hazards and vicissitudes of life.” That’s why we have benefits for not only retirees, but for disabled workers, spouses and survivors. |
In the final act of the documentary, you’ll see how the public has pushed back on the Trump Administration’s campaign to dismantle Social Security from within. Only by continuing to fight for our earned benefits can we make sure, in the words of FDR, that “no damn politician can ever scrap Social Security!” This is a story that has earned the right to be told. |
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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: I am 61, in excellent health, make a substantial salary and plan to keep working for 10 (+ or -) years. At what age should I file for my Social Security benefits to obtain the most income over the years from those payments? |
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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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In our Season 3 podcast premiere, U.S. Representative Brendan Boyle (PA-02) excoriates the Trump Administration for gutting Medicaid, endangering Medicare and monkeying with Social Security. Representative Boyle says Trump is “too lazy to learn” how Social Security really works, allowing DOGE to run amok at the Social Security Administration. He also tells us that some 500,000 Pennsylvanians will lose health coverage because of Trump’s “Unfair, Ugly Bill.” Meanwhile, Medicare may see a huge, automatic cut because of the bill’s deficit-swelling tax cuts for the rich. Representative Boyle, though not yet 50 years old, is one of the biggest champions for seniors in the U.S. House. (September 8, 2025, National Committee “You Earned This” Podcast) |
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President Trump’s executive order ending paper Social Security checks by Sept. 30 will permanently shift all beneficiaries to digital payments, affecting over 500,000 recipients still relying on mailed checks. (September 4, 2025, USA TODAY, Sean Williams) |
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Democrats see Trump’s Social Security changes in the "Big, Ugly" Bill as a major GOP blunder that could give them a powerful advantage in the 2026 midterms. “This is off the charts territory,” said Dan Adcock, who leads government relations and policy at the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, speaking with NOTUS. “We’ve never been in this situation.” (September 10, 2025, Raw Story, Alexander Willis) |
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the updated COVID-19 vaccine for all adults age 65 and up, but Medicare often isn't covering the shot, forcing some seniors to pay out of pocket. (September 8, 2025, Newsweek, Suzanne Blake) |
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If you have a 2025 Medicare Part D prescription-drug plan, a Medicare Advantage plan or both, you’ll receive a missive this month with this sleep-inducing name: Annual Notice of Change. Odds are, you’ll toss or ignore it. Big mistake. (September 14, 2025, Market Watch, Richard Eisenberg) |
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A Social Security Administration office tasked with resolving beneficiary issues brought to its attention by federal legislators has shrunk from about 50 employees to as few as three, according to an agency employee. (September 9, 2025, Government Executive, Sean Michael Newhouse) |
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Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) led seven senators criticizing the Social Security Administration’s watchdog office for declining to launch an investigation into the Trump administration’s efforts to use the Death Master File (DMF) to purge thousands of legal immigrants’ Social Security numbers in order to make them leave the country. (September 12, 2025, senate.gov, press release) |
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Member contributions to the National Committee, a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization, are not tax-deductible. |
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