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From the Strengthen Social Security Campaign -- Senate Majority Leader Reid, Other Democrats, Join Hundreds to Demand No Cuts to Social Security:
Sens. Reid, Harkin, Sanders, Franken and Blumenthal Follow Emotional Speeches by Americans Who Depend on Social Security and Oppose Cuts
(Washington, DC) – The Strengthen Social Security Campaign joined together with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senators Tom Harkin, (D-IA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Al Franken (D-MN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today on Capitol Hill to demand a halt to Republican attacks on Social Security and the citizens who receive it.
Under the slogans “Back Off Social Security” and “Hands Off Social Security,” more than 350 fired-up retirees and others packed a meeting room on Capitol Hill to hear from the Senators and program beneficiaries, and to demand no benefit cuts, no retirement age increase, and no privatization. The large public event happened as the battle heats up in Washington between those wanting to sacrifice Social Security as part of a deficit-reduction deal and those demanding that it not be cut. [...]
In recent weeks Republicans have stepped up their legislative attacks to reduce benefits and services for Social Security recipients. H.R. 1, the failed 2011 budget proposal that was passed by Republicans in the House but rejected in the U.S. Senate, would have reduced funding for the Social Security Administration by $1.7 billion below what the agency needs to maintain basic service to the public in 2011. It would have resulted in furloughs of up to 20 working days, closed offices, unanswered phone calls, and significant delays in processing new claims.
