When President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law in 1935 – 81 years ago this week – he instituted what has become one of the most crucial social safety nets that our country has ever seen. And I am proud to say that it was with the help of former New Hampshire Gov. John Winant that Social Security became law.
The shared value that every American should be able to retire with dignity and age without the threat of poverty is something that sets America apart. In this country, we take care of each other. We do not tear each other down. We rise together, and we are stronger together.
However, not all of us live by this creed. The most notable and outspoken exception as of late is the Republican nominee for president, Donald Trump.
Trump has made it a habit to maliciously and immaturely ravage those who don’t agree with him. Whether it be John McCain, Megyn Kelly, Judge Coriel or Khizr Khan, Trump has shown that his thin skin and easily slighted ego will ravage anyone who crosses him. Even when that person is a war hero, news anchor doing her job, well-respected American judge or a Gold Star father.
As a businessman, he has destroyed small businesses and stiffed contractors in order to further enrich himself. He has always made himself the priority, even when it meant layoffs and additional bankruptcies. He has never shown any allegiance to the shared values that made this country great. And he certainly has never shown that he will protect our nation’s senior population.
He has shown a remarkable – and frankly frightening – lack of understanding when it comes to preserving Social Security for future generations. His “plan” is most notable because it is an utter lack of one. He has no specifics and seemingly no understanding of how the Social Security fund operates.
Trump’s running mate, Gov. Mike Pence, does understand Social Security. He understands that he wants to dismantle and privatize it, putting seniors at risk. Pence’s eagerness to gamble with seniors’ retirement security should be a red flag for every New Hampshire senior, as well as every Granite Stater who hopes to retire someday. A Trump/Pence presidency would mean the end of Social Security as we know it.
Luckily, there is a candidate in this race who is committed to defending and even expanding Social Security: Hillary Clinton.
Our friend Hillary has spent her career fighting Republican attempts to privatize Social Security. As the senator from New York, she led the fight against President Bush’s privatization scheme. As president, she would push back Republican efforts to raise the retirement age and jeopardize our retirement savings.
As part of Hillary’s plan, she would actually work to expand Social Security, which would be especially impactful for women and widows who took time out of the workforce to take care of children or family members.
Hillary believes we need to reduce the amount that Social Security payments drop when a spouse dies, so that the loss of a spouse doesn’t also mean falling into poverty. She also opposes reducing the annual cost-of-living adjustments, which would disproportionately hurt low-income households.
Hillary has long stood up for this country’s seniors, refusing to let the benefits we have earned be put at risk. She will continue that track record as president.
When Roosevelt signed Social Security into law, he said that it “represents a cornerstone in a structure which is being built but is by no means completed.” FDR was right – our work will not be done until every senior citizen and disabled individual is free from poverty. That is why we cannot afford a President Trump and Vice President Pence.
I stand with Hillary Clinton because she believes that no one should ever be left behind. As she said this week, “Social Security isn’t just a program – it’s a promise.” And I believe that every senior deserves a president who will live up to that promise.
Hillary Clinton has always and will always live up to that promise.
(State Sen. Lou D’Allesandro of Manchester represents District 20.)