August 14, 2012

 Washington, D.C. - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid released the following statement celebrating the 77th anniversary of Social Security. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Social Security into law on August 14, 1935.

“Seventy-seven years ago today, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed a promise to all Americans guaranteeing that their ability to retire with dignity would not be left to the mercy of the economic winds.  Social Security continues to fulfill that promise by providing a secure retirement to seniors in Nevada and across the country.

“Unfortunately, this promise is under attack from Republicans like Representative Paul Ryan and Governor Mitt Romney, who have shown they want to privatize Social Security and put seniors at the mercy of the stock market. As we have seen on issue after issue, Republicans like Ryan and Romney would rather gut Social Security than join with Democrats in a balanced approach to deficit reduction that combines smart spending cuts with asking millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share.

“After working hard their entire lives, America’s seniors deserve to retire with dignity. Our nation’s seniors expect their elected officials to keep the promise that was made almost eight decades ago. They can count on Democrats to keep the promise of Social Security.”