Larson Joins AARP for Social Security Fireside Chat

Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) joined the AARP’s Bipartisan Discussion About the Future of Social Security. The discussion, led by PBS NewsHour’s Lisa Desjardins, focused on protecting and expanding Social Security for years to come. 

“It is now less than a decade away when the Trust Fund will be depleted – 20% across the board, and Congress has not enhanced Social Security in more than 52 years,” said Larson. “If you raise the retirement age to 70, as some Republicans have suggested, that’s a 21% across-the-board cut to recipients. With people living longer, they cannot afford to live on less. Right now, 5 million Americans get below-poverty level checks from Social Security, and in Congress, we’re talking again about giving greater tax breaks to the wealthy, and we won’t even take care of people that have paid into a system all their lives? When you talk about the challenges with inequality across the nation, you don’t have to look any further than Social Security. Our bill, Social Security 2100, recognizes that it is long overdue to enhance these programs. This isn’t something the President can do through executive order, or that the Supreme Court will litigate – this is something that only Congress can do, and all we are asking them to do is vote.” 

The live stream of the event can be found here.  

Last week, Larson was awarded the Harkin Institute’s “Visionary Award” for his work to protect and expand Social Security. Earlier this year, Larson reintroduced the Social Security 2100 Act, legislation that would increase benefits across-the-board, improve the annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA), improve customer service at the Social Security Administration, and repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO).