Tell Congress: Reject provisions in SECURE Act that allow annuities providers to scam retirees, and expand Social Security

The average Social Security payment of $14,760 isn't enough to make ends meet.

The average Social Security payment of $14,760 isn't enough to make ends meet.

Petition to the Senate: "Reject the provisions in the SECURE Act that would allow annuities providers to scam retirees out of their hard-earned savings, and instead focus on expanding Social Security by passing the Social Security 2100 Act." Add your name:

But instead of fighting to expand Social Security, some Democrats in Congress are pushing a bipartisan retirement package that contains a massive giveaway to Wall Street that would allow companies to defraud retirees.1 Social Security is one of the most successful government programs in our history, helping to keep tens of millions of Americans out of poverty over the past 80 years. This legislation just passed the House of Representatives. We need to ramp up pressure on the Senate to stand up to rich Wall Street donors and get their priorities straight. The security of hard-earned retirement savings should come first. Tell Congress: Reject retirement scams and expand Social Security. Click here to sign the petition. Wall Street‒backed insurance companies have been fighting for this giveaway for years. The legislation, called the SECURE Act in the House of Representatives, would give employers immunity if their workers are scammed out of retirement savings that are invested in annuities. The immunity – called safe harbor – would allow employers to pick annuities based on kickbacks or how little they cost upfront. The annuity company could later declare bankruptcy and workers would have no ability to sue their employer to recover their savings.2 That's exactly what happens right now to many public employees with 403(b) plans. The new legislation would expand these scams to 401(k) plans, with too few safeguards and no rules insisting companies sell only fixed-payment plans instead of predatory variable annuities.3 Why would Democrats fight for this legislation instead of expanding Social Security? Look no further than Democratic Rep. Richard Neal, who crafted the legislation with Republicans on his committee. The companies that would benefit include:4 ...some of Neal’s biggest donors, including Prudential, whose political action committee delivered $5,000 to Neal last quarter. Or the American Council of Life Insurers PAC, another $5,000 donor, whose members also sell annuities. Or Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company. Or New York Life. Or Liberty Mutual. Or TIAA. Or the Insured Retirement Institute, an industry PAC. Or the Association for Advanced Life Underwriting PAC, another trade group that immediately praised the SECURE Act’s committee passage. The Investment Company Institute, a trade group for mutual funds (that also benefit from the SECURE Act), is another Neal donor. It's not too late to get the Senate to reject this awful retirement scam loophole – if we speak out now. Tell Congress: Reject retirement scams and expand Social Security. Click here to sign the petition. If Congress really wants to protect Americans' retirement, there is a simple answer: Expand Social Security. Social Security is a time-tested program that can pay all the benefits we earned through 2034 and nearly 80% after without any changes. Forcing the wealthy to pay their fair share will secure the program for all of us into the next century. The Social Security 2100 Act would increase Social Security benefits for all of us, force millionaires and billionaires to pay the same rate as everyone else, protect low income workers by increasing the minimum monthly benefit, and guard against inflation by indexing benefits to what the elderly really must spend money on.5 Instead of throwing retirees to the wolves in order to win support from major Wall Street donors, our elected representatives should be fighting to expand Social Security. Tell Congress: Reject retirement scams and expand Social Security. Click below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/secure-act?t=10&akid=32819%2E3130208%2EVC8jaj - Josh Nelson, CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: References: David Dayen, "The House has found bipartisan agreement on reform to retirement accounts. Be afraid." The Intercept, May 22, 2019. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Rep. John Larson, "The Social Security 2100 Act," accessed June 6, 2019.

Tell Congress: Pass the Social Security 2100 Act

Petition to Congress: "Pass the Social Security 2100 Act, which would increase Social Security benefits and keep the system solvent into the next century." Add your name:

Now it is time to use our advantage to push a bold progressive agenda – and progressives in the House of Representatives are doing just that. Rep. John Larson just introduced a bill to expand and protect Social Security with the support of almost all House Democrats.1 The shutdown was a disaster for Donald Trump and Trump Republicans, and not just because they got blamed for it. The shutdown also made millions of people realize the essential role government workers and government services play in our everyday lives.  Trump and his loyal Republicans won't stop trying to slash Social Security and demolish the programs that serve Americans. It's up to us to show Americans that bold progressives have a better vision for the country. Tell Congress: Expand Social Security. Pass the Social Security 2100 Act. Click here to sign the petition. The Social Security 2100 Act would increase Social Security benefits and keep the system solvent into the next century by making the super-rich finally pay their fair share. America is on the brink of a retirement crisis. Low wages and Wall Street scams have left countless Americans unable to save for retirement. Yet instead of protecting the best and most stable retirement program we have, Donald Trump and Trump Republicans repeatedly attack it. They proposed slashing $492 million from the Social Security Administration and routinely invoke the deficits they created with the Trump Tax Scam as an excuse to cut our earned benefits.2,3 That is why we are standing with our friends at Social Security Works to support the Social Security 2100 Act, which would:4 Increase Social Security benefits for all of us. Force millionaires and billionaires to pay the same rate as everyone else. Protect low income workers by increasing the minimum monthly benefit. Guard against inflation by indexing benefits to what the elderly really must spend money on. Social Security is one of the most successful government programs in our history, helping to keep tens of millions of Americans out of poverty over the past 80 years. It can pay all the benefits we earned through 2034 and nearly 80 percent after without any changes. But forcing the wealthy to pay their fair share will secure the program for all of us into the next century. Republicans have been plotting for decades to undermine Social Security any way they can. Right now – with Americans reminded of all the good government does – is the best time to promote a bold vision for the future of Social Security. Tell Congress: Expand Social Security. Pass the Social Security 2100 Act. Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/social-security-2100?t=7&akid=31511%2E3130208%2Ej7pX4Z - Josh Nelson, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Robert Pear, "Democrats Push Plan to Increase Social Security Benefits and Solvency," The New York Times, Feb. 3, 2019. Nancy Altman, "Republicans Are Killing Social Security One Tiny Service Cut at a Time," Slate, Jan. 22, 2018. Rep. John Larson, "The Social Security 2100 Act," accessed Feb. 6, 2019. Ibid.

Tell the Senate: Reject Trump's Social Security pick Andrew Saul

Chief of Social Security? 

Petition to the Senate: "Andrew Saul is unfit to lead the Social Security Administration. A vote for Saul is a vote against Social Security." Add your name: Donald Trump just made his utter disregard for seniors and the Social Security Administration completely clear. Despite years of promises and using seniors as political props, Trump has nominated someone with zero relevant experience as the next commissioner of Social Security.1 In fact, Andrew Saul's only connection to Social Security is that he serves on the board of the Manhattan Institute – a racist, right-wing think tank that pushes for drastic cuts to the program millions of Americans rely upon.2 Saul is unfit to lead the Social Security Administration – but his nomination could come up for a vote soon after the midterm elections. We need to pressure senators to reject this nomination and shine a spotlight on Trump's phony populism. Tell the Senate: Reject Trump's Social Security pick. Click here to sign the petition. Saul has more in common with Donald Trump than he does experience on Social Security. Both Trump and Saul seem to believe being wealthy means they are above the law. Saul was caught allegedly impersonating a police officer in order to escape a trespassing charge. He also dropped out of a congressional race after accepting improper campaign donations.3 Saul, like Trump, also pals around with racists. The Manhattan Institute granted a prestigious platform to notorious racist Charles Murray, who argues that white people are genetically smarter and superior to Black and Latinx people.4 Neither Saul nor Trump care about Social Security. For Trump, the earned benefits that millions of Americans rely on are nothing more than opportunities to launch attacks on Democrats while partnering with Paul Ryan to make cuts. Saul, meanwhile, has zero experience with Social Security – except that the Manhattan Institute thinks Social Security is "too generous" and needs drastic cuts.5 Saul is another unqualified Trump pick - out to make changes that will hurt Americans. We cannot let him lead the Social Security Administration for the next six years. Tell the Senate: Reject Trump's Social Security pick. Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/Andrew_saul_social_security?t=7&akid=30398%2E3130208%2EXZrPFq - Josh Nelson, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Rebekah Entralgo, "Trump pick to run Social Security allegedly impersonated police officer to avoid trespassing charge," ThinkProgress, Oct. 3, 2018./ Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid.

Tell Congress: Support the FAMILY Act, not the Rubio-Trump plan to cut Social Security

Petition to Congress: “Pitting paid family leave against Social Security is a cruel false choice. Reject Marco Rubio’s plan to pay for paid family leave by cutting Social Security benefits and support the FAMILY Act instead." Add your name: At a recent congressional hearing on paid family leave, Sen. Marco Rubio outlined his brand new, Ivanka Trump-supported plan to force people to sacrifice their retirement in order to take care of their loved ones.1 It's a cruel and false choice – after all, the richest country on the planet can afford to ensure that both new parents and senior citizens are able to meet their basic needs. But dangerously, the hearing has produced a wave of coverage touting Ivanka Trump's support and the "bipartisan" interest in paid family leave.2 We need an immediate response showing support for the progressive alternative – the FAMILY Act. Tell Congress: Support the FAMILY Act, not the Rubio-Trump plan to cut Social Security. Click here to sign the petition. The Rubio-Trump bill would require people to accept a cut in their future Social Security benefits in exchange for six weeks of paid parental leave. But this false choice pits earned benefits against family needs. New parents should not have to choose between caring for their children and keeping their jobs. Yet more than 25 years after Congress passed the Family and Medical Leave Act – which requires some employers to allow employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to attend to family-related matters – the United States remains the only industrialized nation in the world that does not offer all citizens paid family leave.3 The progressive FAMILY Act would give people up to 12 weeks of paid time off, earning up to two-thirds of their regular wages, to care for new children or deal with serious family or health issues. In contrast to the Rubio-Trump bill, it is funded by a small increase in payroll taxes – less than $2 per person – instead of pitting family leave and earned Social Security benefits against each other.4 The Rubio-Trump proposal is yet another cynical Republican attempt to cut Social Security benefits under the guise of helping families. It is up to us to make sure members of Congress don’t fall for this Trojan horse attack on Social Security – and instead support a real progressive alternative. Tell Congress: Support the FAMILY Act, not the Rubio-Trump plan to cut Social Security. Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/rubio_paid_leave?t=7&akid=29257%2E3130208%2EN8mgrM Thanks for everything you do, Josh Nelson, Co-Director, CREDO Action CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: References: Social Security Works, "Ivanka Trump and Marco Rubio Want to Cut Your Social Security as the Price for Caring for Your Newborn," Feb. 5, 2018. Heather Marcoux, "Ivanka Trump champions paid family leave policy—and calls for bipartisan support," Mother.ly, July 11, 2018. Elissa Strauss, "Paid parental leave elusive 25 years after Family and Medical Leave Act," CNN, Feb. 5, 2018. National Partnership for Women and Families, "Fact Sheet: The Family And Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act," September 2017.

Stop the secret GOP war on Social Security

Petition to Congress: "Support the Social Security Administration Fairness Act, which would give the Social Security Administration the funding it needs to provide the earned benefits beneficiaries have paid for and deserve." Add your name:

Social Security is one of the most successful government programs in U.S. history, helping to keep tens of millions of Americans out of poverty over the past 80 years. But Republicans have been plotting for decades to undermine Social Security any way they can. Their latest scheme involves quietly slashing the Social Security Administration's operating funding, which the agency uses to maintain offices and provide people with access to the benefits they've earned. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. John Larson have a smart new plan to fight back and protect Social Security by increasing its administrative budget and making it easier for people to access their earned benefits without unnecessary delays.1 Add your name to our petition now to help build support for this crucial new legislation. Tell Congress: Stop the secret war on Social Security. Click here to sign the petition. Republicans' systematic underfunding of the Social Security Administration has real consequences for senior citizens, people living with disabilities and other Social Security beneficiaries. Despite an increase in the total number of people receiving Social Security benefits, budget cuts have forced the agency to reduce its staff size and close more than 10 percent of all Social Security field offices nationwide. The closures mean that people with business at a Social Security field office – many of whom are elderly – are being forced to wait in long line, some outside in unsafe heat.2 The Social Security Administration Fairness Act includes several commonsense provisions that would reverse this troubling trend and make it easier for Americans to access their earned benefits. It would: Impose a moratorium on the closures of Social Security field offices. Increase the Social Security Administration's administrative budget. Eliminate arbitrary and misguided waiting periods that deny people the earned benefits they deserve. CREDO is proud to be joining our friends at Social Security Works, the AFL-CIO and countless other organizations to build support for the Social Security Administration Fairness Act. I hope you'll add your name to our petition today to help build support in Congress for this vital new bill. Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/stop_war_on_social_security?t=7&akid=29182%2E3130208%2EOqfZn3 - Josh Nelson, CREDO Action Add your name: References: The Office of Sen. Bernie Sanders, "Sanders, Larson Introduce Bill to Improve and Restore Social Security Service," June 27, 2018. Rudy Trevino, "Occupancy limit has residents lining up in heat at Social Security office," KIII, July 5, 2018.

Sign the Petition: Demand a budget that supports working families and older Americans

Donald Trump’s budget would cut more than a trillion dollars from Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and trillions more from education, food stamps, infrastructure spending and more. Tell Congress to reject a budget that hurts working families just to pay for tax cuts for the rich and corporations.

Donald Trump has just proposed a new federal budget that steals from working families to pay for his massive $1.5 trillion tax cut that largely benefits the wealthy and big corporations.

As if his tax scam weren’t bad enough, he’s planning to pay for it with a budget that would slash critical services for working families and older Americans, including:

• $1.8 trillion from Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and more―kicking millions of seniors, children and people with disabilities off their healthcare;
• $203 billion from student loans, making it a lot tougher for students to afford college;
• $215 billion from food stamps, hurting the health of low-income children;
• And, $1.5  trillion from hundreds of other public investments from schools to highways to medical research and environmental protection―gone!

Stand up to Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans as they attempt to devastate our earned benefits and other critical services for working families (all so they can pay for their massive tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations). Sign the petition today!

Participating organizations:

Americans for Tax Fairness

Center for American Progress

Corporate Accountability

Daily Kos

Demand Progress

EPI

Good Jobs Nation

People Demanding Action

People For the American Way

Sign the petition: Tell Congress don’t pit Social Security against paid family leave

The petition to Congress reads: “Pitting paid family leave against Social Security is a cruel false choice. Reject Marco Rubio’s plan to pay for paid family leave by cutting Social Security benefits.” Add your name:

Sen. Marco Rubio and Ivanka Trump are coming after your Social Security benefits. The pair is reportedly building congressional support for a proposal that would require people to accept a cut in their future Social Security benefits in exchange for six weeks of paid parental leave.1 This is a cruel false choice. The richest country on the planet can afford to ensure that both new parents and our senior citizens are able to meet their basic needs. We must build overwhelming opposition to the cold-hearted Rubio-Trump proposal before it gains traction in Congress. Tell Congress: Don’t pit Social Security against paid family leave. Click here to sign the petition. New parents should not have to choose between caring for their children and keeping their jobs. Yet more than 25 years after Congress passed the Family and Medical Leave Act – which requires some employers to allow employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to attend to family-related matters – the United States remains the only industrialized nation in the world that does not offer all citizens paid family leave.2 Paid family leave is a good, progressive policy that CREDO supports. But we can’t allow Sen. Rubio and Ivanka Trump to pit paid family leave against Social Security. As Social Security Works President Nancy Altman put it, “our country can afford to increase, not cut, Social Security’s modest benefits, while also adding paid family and medical leave.”3 Under the proposal reportedly being discussed, new parents who choose to receive paid family leave would be forced to push back the date at which they would be eligible to receive Social Security benefits. The end result of such a scheme would be a cut in Social Security benefits, as individuals would receive benefits for a shorter period of time.4 The Rubio-Trump proposal is yet another cynical Republican attempt to cut Social Security benefits under the guise of helping families. It is up to us to make sure members of Congress don’t fall for this Trojan horse attack on Social Security. Tell Congress: Don’t pit Social Security against paid family leave. Click the link below to sign the petition. https://act.credoaction.com/sign/ss-trump-rubio?t=7&akid=27218%2E3130208%2E5Z6MMF Josh Nelson,CREDO Action Add your name:  Seung Min Kim, "Ivanka, Rubio find a new project: Paid family leave," POLITICO, Feb. 4, 2018. Elissa Strauss, "Paid parental leave elusive 25 years after Family and Medical Leave Act," CNN, Feb. 5, 2018. "Ivanka Trump and Marco Rubio Want to Cut Your Social Security as the Price for Caring for Your Newborn," Social Security Works, Feb. 5, 2018. Rebekah Entralgo, "Rubio’s ‘paid family leave’ plan is actually just cutting Social Security," ThinkProgress, Feb. 6, 2018.

Sign the petition: Tell Congress to fully fund the Social Security Administration in the upcoming federal budget

Since its inception, Wall Street has wanted to get its hands on Social Security. The financial industry has tried to cut and privatize our earned benefits and sow a seed of doubt about Social Security’s future―even though Social Security has built up a $2.8 trillion trust fund, can pay out 100% of benefits owed for the next 17 years and 77% of benefits after that.

 
Now, in a cynical attempt to undermine public confidence in the program, Senate Republicans are proposing a $492 million cut to the Social Security Administration―a move that will make it more difficult for the American people to access our heard-earned benefits. 
 
And they’re including it in the must-pass federal budget being voted on next week!
 
Tell Congress to reject cuts to the Social Security Administration and to fully fund the Social Security Administration in the 2018 federal budget.
 
These proposed cuts are on top of the billions in cuts the SSA has already experienced this decade―resulting in longer wait times at Social Security offices, long hold times when calling Social Security, and delays in millions of claims by retirees, surviving spouses and people with disabilities.

After years of trying and failing to dismantle our Social Security system through benefit cuts, this is the new front in the battle for Social Security. By withholding funding, Congress is making it more difficult for us to access the system we’ve paid into our entire lives.
 
Sign the petition today and tell Congress to fully fund the Social Security Administration in the upcoming federal budget. (See wording below.)

-Monique Morrissey
Economist, EPI Policy Center

To: Congress

Over the last decade, Congress has underfunded the Social Security Administration by billions of dollars. This new proposal to further cut SSA funding in the federal budget is nothing more than an attempt to undermine confidence in the program―making it more difficult for the American people to access the system we’ve paid into our entire lives. We demand that you fully fund SSA and protect and expand Social Security for current and future generations.

Tell Congress: No backdoor cuts to Social Security. Reject the Social Security Commission Act of 2017.

The petition to Congress reads: “Social Security is not a hostage or a bargaining chip. Reject H.R. 3423, the Social Security Commission Act of 2017, and remove Social Security from the upcoming debt ceiling debate.” Add your name:

A handful of conservative Democrats in Congress are teaming up with right-wing Republicans to sneak through legislation that would slash our Social Security benefits. Worse, they are effectively taking Social Security hostage by attaching the scheme to a routine debt ceiling increase that must be signed into law by the end of September to prevent the U.S. government from defaulting on its debts.1 A final deal could be struck any day now that would lead to devastating cuts to Social Security benefits. We need to fight back now to make sure Congress knows that this or any other attack on Social Security benefits is unacceptable. Tell Congress: No backdoor cuts to Social Security. Reject the Social Security Commission Act of 2017. Click here to sign the petition. The Social Security Commission Act of 2017 would establish a 13-member commission, made up of seven Republicans and six Democrats, tasked with developing a proposal for ensuring Social Security’s solvency for the next 75 years. Congressional leaders would then fast-track the commission’s proposal without amendments, with limited debate and with only a simple majority’s approval in the Senate.2 The purpose of this sham commission is to justify and jam through cuts to Social Security benefits. During the Obama administration, Republicans in Congress began the dangerous practice of holding the country’s credit rating hostage while demanding cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Even now, with one of their own in the White House, they are planning to do it again – and some conservative Democrats like Rep. John Delaney (D-MD) and Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA) are helping them do it. Not surprisingly, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, which includes such anti-Social Security stalwarts as Pete Peterson, the Wall Street billionaire who built the Social Security lie machine, as well as Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, the notorious co-chairs of the “Bowles-Simpson” commission to cut Social Security, supports this attack on Social Security. We will not stand by while conservatives in Washington and on Wall Street take Social Security hostage. That’s why we’re joining our friends at Social Security Works to fight back against this dangerous proposal to fast-track slashing Social Security benefits before it is too late. Tell Congress: No backdoor cuts to Social Security. Reject the Social Security Commission Act of 2017. Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/save_social_security_2017?t=7&akid=24718%2E3130208%2EaZ3epl - Josh Nelson, Deputy Political Director CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: References: Bob Bryan, "Congress has 12 working days to avoid an economic disaster — and there's good reason to panic," Business Insider, Aug. 13, 2017. Rep. John Delaney, Text: H.R.3423 — 115th Congress (2017-2018), introduced July 26, 2017.