More than 150 members of Congress launched a new group this month focused on expanding and preserving Social Security benefits for seniors, people with disabilities, and their families. The Expand Social Security Caucus will seek to preserve and expand Social so that the program can most effectively provide for both current and future generations of seniors and families.
There are currently 63 million people in the United States receiving Social Security benefits, including 90% of people over the age of 65. This past year, Social Security benefits were responsible for keeping 27 million people out of poverty, including 17 million seniors. According to the Social Security Administration, 48% of older married couples and 69% of unmarried seniors receive a majority of their income from Social Security.
Yet, earlier this year, the Trump administration proposed cutting Social Security benefits by $72 billion over a 10-year period. The new congressional caucus will work legislatively to fight against these cuts and to propose new steps forward to strengthen Social Security for those who most depend on it. Over a dozen bills have already been introduced in the Senate and House by Democratic lawmakers seeking to expand Social Security.
In the Senate, the Expand Caucus will be chaired by Senators Bernie Sanders (VT) and Elizabeth Warren(MA). In the House, co-chairs include Representatives Debbie Dingell (MI), Raul Grijalva (AZ), Conor Lamb (PA), John Larson (CT), and Terri Sewell (AL) (a full list of Expand Caucus members is available here).
More information on the launch of the Expand Social Security Caucus is available here.