Social Security and Medicare advocates urge support for petition to Biden

Social Security Works, a national group dedicated to protecting Social Security, is urging that everyone sign an emergency petition to President Biden before he gives his scheduled State of the Union message to Congress and the nation on Tuesday.

“On Tuesday, President Biden will address a joint session of Congress, giving his constitutionally-required State of the Union address,” notes Michael Phelan, director of the organization.

“With the U.S. Department of Treasury exercising extraordinary measures to pay America’s bills right now because Republicans have taken routine administrative legislation called the “debt limit” hostage, we’re hoping that President Biden will deliver a clear message: When Republicans hold a gun to the world economy, that’s not a negotiation.”

Phelan notes that Republicans know that their goal of defunding and dismantling Social Security and Medicare will never win the support of the American people and that’s why they create crises over the debt ceiling whenever there’s a Democrat in the White House.

The debt ceiling was increased three times while Donald Trump was President―and it was never a negotiation. Republicans want Americans to believe that we can’t afford the benefits they earn throughout their working lives. “It’s a lie, “ says Phelan. “This is the richest country on earth, at the richest point in our history.”

Senator Bernie Sanders is close to introducing a new bill, The Social Security Expansion Act of 2023, that will put Social Security on solid financial footing for the next 75 years, while increasing benefits for everyone. The Sanders bill, if it became law, would make millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share of taxes. Currently, they pay far smaller portions of their incomes than do working people.

More than 200 members of Congress have already taken a pledge, promising never to cut Social Security or Medicare. In his State of the Union address, President Biden should put that question to every member of Congress: Can you promise your constituents that you will never cut Social Security or Medicare? Social Security Works is urging everyone to sign their petition:

Sign our petition to President Biden: Challenge every Member of Congress to take the Social Security pledge in your State of the Union address.

“We’ve let the White House know that we’re sending them this petition, and we’re going to send them the signatures. Please, make sure that we have too many signatures to ignore,” Social Security Works said in its recent statement.