Washington, D.C. – DNC interim Chair Donna Brazile and Steve Regenstreif, Chair of the DNC Seniors Council, released the following joint statement on the 81st Anniversary of Social Security:
 
“Eighty-one years ago, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law, making a promise to the American people that if they worked hard and played by the rules, they would be able to retire with dignity. Since then, the American people have held up their end of the bargain. Seniors are able to retire with dignity, and our economy has remained the envy of the world. Before Social Security, at least 80 percent of seniors lived in poverty. Today, that number is less than 15 percent.
 
“But we still have more work to do. For too long, hardworking families have seen their incomes stagnate, while the GOP has obstructed efforts to raise the minimum wage and pushed for tax breaks for those already at the top. Republicans like Speaker Paul Ryan and Sen. Mitch McConnell have plotted to undermine Social Security, proposing deep cuts and plans to privatize the critical program. 
 
“Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, wants to protect Social Security and expand it for those who need it most – including widows and those who take time out of the paid workforce to care for children, aging parents or ailing family members. She believes that our people are our greatest strength; that a hard day’s work should be rewarded with fair pay; that a lifetime of hard work should be rewarded with a secure retirement; and that our economy should work for everyone, not just those at the top.
 
“That’s why we must elect Hillary Clinton as our next president, and it’s why we must elect Democrats up and down the ballot on Election Day.”