Dear John,
While many political pundits are debating about who won last night’s first presidential debate, our primary concern is what the debate revealed about the presidential candidates’ intentions for your earned benefits.
And that’s why before last night’s debate we sent a letter to moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News strongly urging him to ask questions to both candidates specifically related to coronavirus relief, which is currently languishing in the Senate, and President Trump’s payroll tax cut directed by Executive Order which would starve Social Security of much-needed revenue at a time when this program needs to be strengthened not cut.
You would think, with more than 200,000 American lives lost to the coronavirus, the health care of millions hanging in the balance with the threat of the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and more Americans than ever before relying on Social Security for their sole retirement income, that these issues would be discussed at length during the presidential debate.
Yet, while there was some attention given to the coronavirus pandemic and the ACA, not a single question was posed about the President’s Executive Order calling for a payroll tax cut or his ominous promise to “terminate” it if re-elected, which would open the door to harmful benefit cuts, even privatization, in the future.
The American people, workers and retirees, deserved to hear a thorough discussion —one that permits facts, not political fiction, to support or defend any actions regarding the Social Security program. And the payroll tax cut poses one of the gravest threats to the future of Social Security we’ve ever faced!
Steven Goss, Chief Actuary for the Social Security Administration, reported that a permanent payroll tax cut to the Social Security Trust Fund reserves would cause the program to run dry by 2023!
Here at the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, we know this issue is important to you and millions of other Americans who are concerned about their health and financial security, especially during this crisis.
And in the final weeks of this election, we will continue to press the presidential candidates about their positions on Social Security and their plans to strengthen this program. Please make one urgent gift of $10 or $5— and help us hold Donald Trump and Joe Biden accountable for what they say on the campaign trail and on the debate stage! Rest assured we will put pressure on debate moderators to raise this issue with the candidates.
The fact is, Social Security is more important than ever to the well-being of millions of older Americans. That’s why voters need to know where these candidates stand on Social Security before their votes are cast!
Sincerely,
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