Retiree Leaders to Obama: State of Union a Chance to Strengthen Social Security

January 20, 2011

Joint Letter Critical of False Budget Claims

For Immediate Release
January 20, 2011   

Washington DC – Thirty state retiree leaders today told President Obama that he has “the opportunity to renew the nation’s commitment to the Social Security program during the State of the Union Address” and urged him to reject false claims that Social Security increases the federal budget deficit.

In a joint letter signed by 30 presidents of state chapters of the Alliance for Retired Americans, the retiree leaders said they are concerned that “many in Washington will try to take advantage of the nation’s current debt situation and cause permanent damage to the Social Security program.”   The co-signers wrote that the program is fully-financed by worker and employer contributions and that the “current debt situation should not be a political cover for attacking Social Security.”

Noting recent moves to cut benefits and raise the retirement age, the state retiree leaders wrote to the President, “we strongly urge you to resist such efforts... the debate over the current debt situation is not the forum for debating the future of Social Security.”

For a copy of the letter, go to http://bit.ly/dK1pBa.

“Retirees will be watching the State of the Union address on Tuesday, and they will support President Obama’s call to lower federal spending.  But they know that Social Security did not create these deficits and that we cannot balance the budget on the backs of current and future retirees,” said Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the 4 million member Alliance for Retired Americans.

Contact: David Blank (202) 637-5275 or dblank@retiredamericans.org

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