Petition to Save Social Security and Medicare
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Please join the Campaign for America's Future and the Frances Perkins Center in our effort to save Social Security and Medicare, and prevent the undemocratic debt commission proposed by Sens. Kent Conrad and Judd Gregg from being passed by Congress. Sign this petition by entering your name, email and zipcode in the fields below.
Dear President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Reid:
We, the undersigned, urge you to preserve and protect two of the most important and successful government programs in the history of the United States -- Social Security and Medicare. We ask that you resist the pressure by Wall Street and conservative members of Congress to form an undemocratic and unaccountable fast-track "deficit commission" that would cut these programs that are so crucial to the well-being of the people of our country.
Social Security is not responsible for any part of the deficit. The 2009 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees stated that Social Security ran a surplus of $180 billion last year with a reserve of $2.4 trillion. The Congressional Budget Office, in its August 2009 forecast, said that full benefits can continue to be paid until 2043. There is ample time to make the necessary adjustments through the usual legislative process.
The best way to get the cost of Medicare under control is by reforming the health care system as you are currently trying to do, not by cutting benefits to the millions of people whose health is at stake.
There are many ways to cut the deficit -- once our economy has recovered. In the meantime, Social Security and Medicare provide a measure of economic stability during a time of financial crisis in our communities. As Frances Perkins said on the 25th anniversary of Social Security, "We will go forward into the future, a stronger nation because of the fact that we have this basic rock of security under all of our people."
In 2010, we'll celebrate the 75th anniversary of Social Security. We urge you to stand firm against the proposal for a fast-track commission that would diminish these two programs that speak so deeply of America's values.
Respectfully yours,
We, the undersigned, urge you to preserve and protect two of the most important and successful government programs in the history of the United States -- Social Security and Medicare. We ask that you resist the pressure by Wall Street and conservative members of Congress to form an undemocratic and unaccountable fast-track "deficit commission" that would cut these programs that are so crucial to the well-being of the people of our country.
Social Security is not responsible for any part of the deficit. The 2009 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees stated that Social Security ran a surplus of $180 billion last year with a reserve of $2.4 trillion. The Congressional Budget Office, in its August 2009 forecast, said that full benefits can continue to be paid until 2043. There is ample time to make the necessary adjustments through the usual legislative process.
The best way to get the cost of Medicare under control is by reforming the health care system as you are currently trying to do, not by cutting benefits to the millions of people whose health is at stake.
There are many ways to cut the deficit -- once our economy has recovered. In the meantime, Social Security and Medicare provide a measure of economic stability during a time of financial crisis in our communities. As Frances Perkins said on the 25th anniversary of Social Security, "We will go forward into the future, a stronger nation because of the fact that we have this basic rock of security under all of our people."
In 2010, we'll celebrate the 75th anniversary of Social Security. We urge you to stand firm against the proposal for a fast-track commission that would diminish these two programs that speak so deeply of America's values.
Respectfully yours,
This petition is no longer active.
1825 K Street, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20006
202-955-5665 (tel) | 202-955-5606 (fax) | www.ourfuture.org
