During last night’s State of the Union address, President Biden reaffirmed his promise to defend Social Security and Medicare from any cuts that could emerge during the debt ceiling standoff. This fiscal brinksmanship has allowed some bad ideas for “reforming entitlements” to percolate on Capitol Hill.

Some GOP lawmakers support raising the eligibility ages for Social Security and Medicare, implementing a “chained” Consumer Price Index that would reduce Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs) for current and future retirees, means testing Social Security, and even putting these programs in the hands of special committees which would give lawmakers political cover for cutting benefits.

During his address, the President was pointed in his criticism of lawmakers proposing tying benefit cuts to the debt ceiling debate: “Other Republicans say if we don’t cut Social Security and Medicare, they’ll let America default on its debt for the first time in our history. I won’t let that happen.

Social Security and Medicare are a lifeline for millions of seniors. Americans have been paying into them with every single paycheck since they started working. So tonight, let’s all agree to stand up for seniors. Stand up and show them we will not cut Social Security. We will not cut Medicare. Those benefits belong to the American people. They earned them. If anyone tries to cut Social Security, I will stop them. And if anyone tries to cut Medicare, I will stop them.”

The President also touted the Inflation Reduction Act which will help lower the high cost of prescription drugs for older Americans, rein in the power of Big Pharma to charge consumers whatever they want for lifesaving medications and save Medicare billions of dollars.

And at a time when huge corporations continue to rake in record profits, even as millions of Americans continue to struggle to afford their basic needs, the President stressed the need for wealthy Americans to pay their fair share of taxes. This will help shore up the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds. Because as President Biden rightly stated, “no billionaire should be paying a lower tax rate than a schoolteacher or fire fighter!”

That’s why with so much at stake in the weeks and months ahead, you and other seniors must make it clear to the politicians in Washington that you will not stand by as they try to hold our economy hostage in exchange for deep cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

We should not have to fight to protect the benefits you’ve paid into and earned after a lifetime of hard work. But fight we will!

So please can I count on you to chip in a gift today in whatever amount you can safely afford to help us organize, mobilize and make our voices heard on Capitol Hill as we wage this fight to stave off devastating cuts to your Social Security and Medicare benefits?