Larson, Sanders, Warren Announce Expand Social Security Caucus

Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (D-Conn),Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Reps. Terri A. Sewell (D-Ala.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.)Conor Lamb (D-PA), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) on Thursday announced the bicameral Expand Social Security Caucus, along with 16 senators and more than 130 House members.

"Social Security is not an entitlement. It's the insurance that American workers have paid for. The members of this caucus will always fight for Social Security and the workers who have earned their benefits. I want to thank the House Co-Chairs Reps. Debbie Dingell, Terri Sewell, Conor Lamb and Raul Grijalva. In addition, I thank my colleagues in the Senate, Senator Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren for their hard work on building the Expand Social Security Caucus in the Senate," Larson said.

"We are here today to say very loudly and very clearly that at a time when millions of seniors are trying to survive on $12,000 or $13,000 a year, our job is not to cut Social Security. Our job is to expand Social Security so that everyone in America can retire with dignity and respect," Sanders said.

"Social Security is a lifeline for seniors and Americans with disabilities. We won't let it be cut by one cent – and instead we will fight to expand it," Warren said. "The rich and powerful have rigged our economy to make themselves richer, while working families face a massive retirement crisis. If this government really works for the people, it should protect and expand Social Security."

The caucus is committed to expanding Social Security, one of the most popular and successful government programs. Last year alone, Social Security lifted 22 million Americans, including more than 15 million seniors, out of poverty. Before Social Security, nearly half of the nation's seniors were living in poverty.

Larson's bill the Social Security 2100 Act expands and enhances Social Security and currently has over 170 cosponsors in the House.

Joining the caucus leadership Thursday were Social Security Works, the Alliance for Retired Americans, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, Latinos for a Secure Retirement, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, the American Federation of Government Employees, the Arc of the United States, the Center for Responsible Lending and Global Policy Solutions.

Joining Larson, Sewell, Dingell, Lamb, and Grijalva in the House caucus are Reps. Pete Aguilar (D-CA), Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA), Don Beyer (D-VA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Robert Brady (D-PA) Anthony Brown (D-MD), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Cheri Bustos (D-IL), Mike Capuano (D-MA), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), André Carson (D-IN), Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Judy Chu (D-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Katherine Clark (D-MA), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Wm. Lacy Clay (D-MO), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Charlie Crist (D-FL), Joe Crowley (D-NY), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Danny Davis (D-IL), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Diana DeGette (D-CO), John Delaney (D-MD), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Mike Doyle (D-PA), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Elizabeth Esty (D-CT), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Bill Foster (D-IL), Marcia Fudge (D-OH), Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), John Garamendi (D-CA), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Al Green (D-TX), Gene Green (D-TX), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Denny Heck (D-WA), Brian Higgins (D-NY), Jim Himes (D-CT), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Bill Keating (D-MA), Robin Kelly (D-IL), Joe Kennedy, III (D-MA), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Ruben Kihuen (D-NV), Dan Kildee (D-MI), Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH), James Langevin (D-RI), Rick Larsen (D-WA), Al Lawson (D-FL), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Sandy Levin (D-MI), John Lewis (D-GA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), Betty McCollum (D-MN), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Grace Meng (D-NY), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Richard Neal (D-MA), Rick Nolan (D-MN), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Tom O'Halleran (D-AZ), Beto O'Rourke (D-TX), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), Collin Peterson (D-MN), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Stacey Plaskett (D-VI), Mark Pocan (D-WI), David Price (D-NC), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Kathleen Rice (D-NY), Cedric Richmond (D-LA), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Raul Ruiz (D-CA), Tim Ryan (D-OH), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Bobby Scott (D-VA), José Serrano (D-NY), Terri Sewell (D-AL), Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Adam Smith (D-WA), Darren Soto (D-FL), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Thomas Suozzi (D-NY), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Mark Takano (D-CA), Mike Thompson (D-CA), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Dina Titus(D-NV), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Norma Torres (D-CA), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Marc Veasey (D-TX), Filemon Vela (D-TX), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Peter Welch (D-VT), and John Yarmuth (D-KY).

Joining Sanders and Warren in the Senate caucus are Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patti Murray (D-Wash.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

Click here to watch the announcement.

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