By John B Larson Social Security is our nation's No. 1 financial security and anti-poverty program. Over its 85 years it has never missed a payment and has been the foundation for Americans' retirement. As the country continues to fight the ever-worsening coronavirus pandemic and having elected a new president and Congress, the urgent need to protect and expand Social Security benefits must be addressed. Sixty four million Americans currently receive benefits and 178 million workers are paying into Social Security with each and every paycheck, expecting that Social Security will be there when they need it. As President-elect Biden has said, Social Security is a sacred obligation that Congress must uphold. Some say we can't afford to protect and expand Social Security now, during a global pandemic. However, those most harmed by the pandemic -- the elderly, people of color, and especially women of color -- are the same ones who rely on Social Security the most, and they desperately need a temporary emergency benefit increase. As chairman of the Social Security Subcommittee and co-chair of the Expand Social Security Caucus, I will again introduce an emergency bill to increase benefits for Social Security recipients during the pandemic and to fix an anomaly which will cut benefits significantly for those born in 1960, who are retiring in 2022, if Congress does not act. This anomaly is due to the sudden drop in wages caused by COVID-19, which affects the formula the Social Security Administration uses to calculate benefits. We will also reintroduce a revised version of the Security 2100 Act in the 117th Congress, to improve benefits and ensure solvency for at least 75 years. We will again reach out to the Republicans, seeking their constructive support, in the hope that they will join us in aiding those most impacted by this virus. We are glad that President-elect Biden campaigned on both protecting and expanding Social Security and has called it a "sacred trust." We look forward to working with the Biden administration, honoring that sacred trust, and incorporating his ideas into the Social Security 2100 Act. Let's be clear: COVID-19 further exposed the disparities that already existed before the pandemic. As John Lewis pointed out, Social Security is also a civil rights issue and an economic development issue that is critical to women, millennials and veterans. According to leading economists, enhancing Social Security will help stimulate the economy. In 2014, Social Security benefits contributed $1.6 trillion to the national economy. People don't hoard these benefits, they spend them and put the money right back into their local communities. This is a stimulus we need during this pandemic! This should be an issue that brings us together. The virus doesn't attack your political affiliation; whether you're Democrat or Republican, the pandemic affects us all. We need to unite and fight back. More than 100 organizations support the Social Security 2100 Act including Social Security Works, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, NAACP, National Organization for Women, and Latinos for a Secure Retirement. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has also commended the bill. We can -- and we must -- ensure Social Security's solvency without cutting benefits or raising the retirement age. We have to act now to ensure American's No. 1 economic security program is strengthened and secured for future generations. No one gets wealthy on Social Security. It's the nation's lifeline and an earned benefit that provides only about $18,000 a year to an average retiree. 10,000 baby boomers a day become eligible for Social Security. But Congress hasn't acted to strengthen the program in 37 years. Five million of our fellow Americans have paid into the program but receive a payment that's below the poverty level. Members of Congress should ask themselves, could they live on that? This is in our hands and it is on our watch. Congress needs to act. Larson represents the 1st District of Connecticut and is chairman of the Social Security Subcommittee and co-chair of the Expand Social Security Caucus.

Today marks Social Security's 85th anniversary. For 85 years, it has provided millions of Americans with peace of mind that they will have support in their retirement. It has never missed a payment. However, Social Security is now under assault. The Trump administration and Republicans have hatched an ill-advised plan that would defund Social Security, jeopardizing the nation's most popular program at the very time that Americans need these benefits most.Last weekend, the Trump Administration made it clear they want to defund Social Security by pulling the plug on the dedicated funding source for this earned benefit. They plan on moving forward by first deferring payroll taxes and then, even more alarming, have indicated they want to make these cuts permanent.As the president stated, "I plan to forgive these taxes and make permanent cuts to the payroll tax. So I'm going to make them all permanent." This is a direct assault on Social Security.Trump's payroll tax order is a terrible way to get relief to beleaguered Americans. It is stealing from their retirement to make up for the administration's failure to contain the virus and save our economy. Americans need help but not this way. Americans make these payroll tax deposits, officially known as FICA payments, with each paycheck in exchange for guaranteed benefits. FICA stands for the Federal Insurance Contribution Act -- whose contribution? Yours!Trump's plan to defund Social Security is the latest salvo in Republicans' decades long goal to cut Social Security. For decades, Republicans have tried to cut Social Security by trying to privatize it or making cuts through commissions which subvert the legislative process, or propose seemingly reasonable policies such as raising the retirement age, which in fact cause benefit cuts. Now they're trying to use the pandemic as a scapegoat.200+ House Democrats and I have a solution to safe-guard Social Security and make it sustainable for future generations with the Social Security 2100 Act. We've also introduced an emergency relief bill, the Social Security COVID Correction and Equity Act, which would prevent a benefit cut from occurring during the pandemic. It expands benefits to help beneficiaries through these difficult times, which will help boost the economy. No one is getting rich off Social Security. The average benefit is $1,400 per month and that's money that goes directly back into the economy to pay for food, housing, and other necessities.Republicans on the other hand have fought our efforts. Their approach this Congress has been to do nothing. Doing nothing would result in a 20 percent benefit cut after 2035. For the average beneficiary, that's $280 a month! Even more alarming, is a recent report from the Center for American Progress that found if Trump's payroll tax cut became permanent, the Social Security Trust Fund would be exhausted by 2025 and result in benefit cuts of up to 50 percent. President Roosevelt's intention when he designed Social Security was to purposefully make it an earned benefit that people contributed into with every paycheck. By eliminating Social Security's funding source, President Trump is turning it into a welfare program, something Roosevelt warned against.In the midst of the worst economic recession of our time, it is just plain cruel to try and pull the floor out from under Americans' retirement. For two-thirds of Social Security beneficiaries, Social Security makes up the majority of their retirement income. As 401(k)s fluctuate, Social Security remains strong. It has never missed a payment. Unless the Republicans have their way.As chairman of the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee, it's my job to educate the public and serve as a guardian of the program.We will not allow Trump and his Republicans to defund Social Security and cause the demise of the only program guaranteeing financial security for Americans.