MEDIA ADVISORY: Sanders, Colleagues, Advocates to Hold Press Call to Demand Congress Protect Social Security

BURLINGTON, Vt., Aug. 11 – Ahead of the 90th anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt signing the Social Security Act into law, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will join Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), former Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley, policy experts and Social Security beneficiaries for a press call on Wednesday calling on Congress to protect benefits for working-class Americans amid congressional Republicans’ efforts to undermine, dismantle and privatize Social Security.
Social Security is the most successful government program in U.S. history. For almost 90 years, through good times and bad, Social Security has paid out every benefit owed to every eligible American on time and without delay. Before it was signed into law on August 14, 1935, about 50% of the nation’s seniors lived in poverty, as did countless Americans with disabilities and surviving dependents of deceased workers. In 2023 alone, Social Security lifted 27.6 million Americans out of poverty — including more than 19.5 million seniors.
Despite the program’s success, Republicansareclosing Social Security field offices,working to lay offup to half its staffand attemptingtotake away Americans’ right to apply for benefits over the phone. In April, Sandersreleased a reportshowing that cutting half the staff at the Social Security Administration could result in 67,000 Americans dying while waiting for disability benefits.
Meanwhile,Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnickclaimedthat seniors wouldn’t complain if they didn’t get their Social Security checks and that anyone who did complain was a fraudster;Treasury Secretary Scott Bessentcheered provisions in the recent Republican reconciliation billas a “back door for privatizing Social Security”; andElon Muskcalled Social Securitythe “biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.”
Details
What:Virtual press conference calling on Congress to protect Social Security
When:Wednesday, August 13, 11:30 a.m.
Who: