My father passed when I had just started my sophomore year in college. Beyond the obvious, my mother was stressing over how she was going to keep me in school. But then, a check started to arrive each month, specifically meant to do just that. It was a benefit from Social Security designed to assist surviving children of the beneficiary – and it was a much-needed lifeline.When we think of Social Security, we immediately think of retirees. But over the years, the program has evolved to assist many vulnerable people in our society and give them a better quality of life.The Democratic administration of Franklin Roosevelt established an early version of Social Security in the 1930s when the poverty rate among seniors was 50 percent. Over the years, it’s evolved to provide essential monthly benefits to retirees, those who are blind or disabled, and children who’ve lost a parent (like I did). It’s often wrongly called an “entitlement,” mainly because workers help fund their own future benefits with a payroll tax. It’s their money.In 2019, 69 million people received monthly benefits, averaging about $1600 per check. Fifty-five percent of beneficiaries were women. For those receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 86% got assistance due to a disability or blindness. In 2021, 4 million kids also got a helping hand.It’s clear that the implementation of Social Security has helped generations of Americans. It’s perhaps one of the best examples of how government can work for its citizens –a fundamental belief among Democrats. In fact, the Biden administration just approved a cost-of-living increase in SS benefits of 8.7 percent, which will help 70 million Americans starting in 2023.Sadly, Social Security is not so “secure” at the moment. The GOP has made it clear that, should they win control of the House, they want to “sunset” it over five years. Which, for anyone either at or approaching retirement age, or caring for an elderly parent, should set your hair on fire.For years, the GOP has attempted to “reform” or “privatize” Social Security (translation: “raid”).GOP members including Senator Rick Scott of FL and Rep. Steve Scalise of LA have laid out a plan to effectively gut the program (along with Medicare) should they regain control of the House. Simply put, they would use legislative procedure to require that SS and Medicare be put to a vote every year to determine whether or not to keep those checks flowing to their rightful recipients.Can you imagine the anxiety of an 80-year-old widow who relies on that money, and doesn’t know if it will be there in the next year or not? I think back to my own mother, faced with losing her survivor benefits (and a way to help get her daughter through school) after Dad died.Republicans also plan to use Social Security as leverage in next year’s debt-ceiling discussions. Essentially, they’re setting up a hostage crisis, demanding cuts to benefits in order to keep the government functioning.Like the once-seemingly impossible loss of Roe v Wade, losing Social Security is a real possibility right now. The one thing each of us can do is to vote to ensure that this lifeline for seniors and others who need it– started by Democrats – remains intact via a Democratic majority in the House.Your Nana is counting on us.How important is Social Security to you or someone in your life? What have your local or state representatives said about future plans for this program? Where does your federal representative come down on it? Let’s discuss.
Cindy Grogan is a writer, lover of history and “Star Trek” (TOS), and hardcore politics junkie. There was that one time she campaigned for Gerald Ford (yikes), but ever since, she’s been devoted to Democratic and progressive policies.
Original source can be found here.
