STRENGTHENING AND EXPANDING SOCIAL SECURITY
Expansion of Social Security benefits is necessary so every senior citizen, now and in the future, can retire with the dignity they deserve.
QUICK READ: The Social Security Trust Fund will likely be depleted by 2035. Senator Merkley and Representative DeFazio are co-sponsoring the most comprehensive plan Democrats have introduced to stabilize and expand the program--extending its solvency for 75+ years, expanding benefits by $200/month, increasing cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), and requiring millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share. This bill, which, with the filibuster, needs GOP votes to pass, must be voted on in both Houses soon, so voters know which party has a concrete plan to save this very popular and necessary program.
CONTENT
BACKGROUND
All Americans deserve to retire with dignity, but recent estimates suggest Social Security funds, on which almost all seniors rely, will be depleted by 2035.
Older Americans are hurting. 50% have no retirement savings, and, for millions, 90% of their income comes from Social Security. The average check, however, is only $1,668, and, with inflation outpacing 2022’s 5.9% COLA, many must decide between food and medicine.
The Social Security Expansion Act, recently introduced by Rep. DeFazio and co-sponsored by Sen. Merkley, addresses these challenges by:
Expanding benefits by $2,400/year
Increasing COLAs by using seniors’ spending patterns
Indexing minimum benefit to 125% of poverty line ($17,000) to keep low-income workers out of poverty
Applying the Social Security payroll tax to all income above $250,000, rather than only the first $147,000—extending the program’s solvency for 75+ years and affecting only 7% of households
Voters overwhelmingly support Social Security’s expansion and oppose MAGA Republicans’ privatization proposals, giving Democrats a golden opportunity to bolster their slim majorities in Congress and providing a strong incentive to oppose Biden’s nomination of Andrew Biggs, an anti-Social Security ideologue, to the Social Security Advisory Board.
Convince your MoCs to co-sponsor this legislation and push for early votes in both Houses.
ACTION One: Call the Senate.
Script for Oregon Senators
SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753
My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Thank you very much for co-sponsoring the Social Security Expansion Act (S.4365), which is desperately needed to permit all Americans to retire with dignity. To ensure that voters understand that only Democrats care about preserving this extremely popular and important program, it is necessary to (1) deny Andrew Biggs, an anti-Social Security ideologue, confirmation to the Social Security Advisory Board and (2) bring S.4365 to the floor for an early vote—another reason for Schumer to postpone the August recess.
SEN. WYDEN:
Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
The Social Security Expansion Act (S.4365), which is desperately needed to permit all Americans to retire with dignity, is sitting in the Finance Committee. I urge you to co-sponsor this bill and to get it to the Senate floor expeditiously. To ensure that voters understand that only Democrats care about preserving this extremely popular and important program, it is necessary to (1) deny Andrew Biggs, an anti-Social Security ideologue, confirmation to the Social Security Advisory Board and (2) orchestrate an early vote on S.4365—another reason for Schumer to postpone the August recess.
Script for Republican Senators
D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].
The Social Security Trust Fund will likely be depleted by 2035. Instead of working to privatize or eliminate Social Security, which is opposed by the vast majority of your constituents, including Republicans, it is time to start working with Democrats to ensure that all Americans can retire with the dignity they deserve.
ACTION TWO: Call the House.
Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
The Social Security Expansion Act (HR.8005) is desperately needed to permit all Americans to retire with dignity. I urge you to co-sponsor this bill and to get it to the House floor expeditiously to ensure that voters understand that only Democrats care about preserving this extremely popular and important program—another reason for Pelosi to postpone the August recess.
Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)
Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
The Social Security Trust Fund will likely be depleted by 2035. Instead of working to privatize or eliminate Social Security, which is opposed by the vast majority of your constituents, including Republicans, it is time to start working with Democrats to ensure that all Americans can retire with the dignity they deserve.
Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
The Social Security Expansion Act (HR.8005) is desperately needed to permit all Americans to retire with dignity. I urge you to co-sponsor this bill and to get it to the House floor expeditiously to ensure that voters understand that only Democrats care about preserving this extremely popular and important program—another reason for Pelosi to postpone the August recess.
Script for Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Thank you very much for co-sponsoring the Social Security Expansion Act (HR.8005), which is desperately needed to permit all Americans to retire with dignity. To ensure that voters understand that only Democrats care about preserving this extremely popular and important program, it is necessary to bring this bill to the floor for an early vote—another reason for Pelosi to postpone the August recess.
Script for Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
The Social Security Expansion Act (HR.8005) is desperately needed to permit all Americans to retire with dignity. I urge you to co-sponsor this bill and to get it to the House floor expeditiously to ensure that voters understand that only Democrats care about preserving this extremely popular and important program—another reason for Pelosi to postpone the August recess.
ACTION THREE: Good Trouble.
GOOD TROUBLE: Below are opportunities to fight for our democracy. As John Lewis said, go make some “good trouble.”
Fridays at 4 - Letter and Postcard Writing — Indivisible Oregon.
Learn about persuasive language and communication research at the Zoom ASO Movement Briefings every second Wednesday. (NOW DELAYED. WATCH THE WEBSITE FOR UPDATES.)
Join the campaign to hold the House and Senate at GiveNoGround.org
Work to protect democracy in the House by electing Democrats Val Hoyle in District 4, Jamie McLeod-Skinner in District 5, and Andrea Salinas in Oregon’s new Congressional District 6.
Check out the Poor People's Campaign Readies 'Massive, Nonviolent' Effort to Save Democracy
Outside of Portland? Check out COIN Oregon.
FURTHER READING
Social Security Expansion Act Fact Sheet
Social Security bill would give seniors an extra $2400 a year. Here’s how it would work.
Social Security bill backed by Bernie Sanders could give seniors an extra $2,400 a year in payments
Survey Shows US Voters Want Congress to Expand – Not Cut or Privatize – Social Security
Opinion: Republicans want to ‘reform’ Social Security behind closed doors – beware!
Biden Taps Anti-Social Security Ideologue To Oversee Program
