DeLauro Celebrates 75th Anniversary of Social Security

New Haven, CT –Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3) attended a celebration of the 75th birthday of Social Security today, presented by the Connecticut Alliance for Retired Americans and the New Haven Peoples Center.

The Social Security Act, signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 14, 1935, promised that after a lifetime of work, America's seniors would be protected. This bedrock promise has withstood the test of time, surviving challenges and threats of privatization that would have bankrupted it and millions of America's seniors. Congresswoman DeLauro attended this celebration in honor of the Social Security Act, the benefits it has provided to generations of hard-working Americans, and what its potential is for the future.

"President Roosevelt's promise, that America's workforce would be protected and supported in their later years, has withstood the test of 75 years, and will continue to do so for generations to come. It has served as a partner to hard-working Americans, pledging security and stability after a lifetime of hard work. And yet, just five years ago, my Republican colleagues sought to push a risky plan of privatization and cuts onto Social Security—which had they succeeded, would have cost seniors trillions of dollars during the financial crisis. We protected Social Security then, just as it has protected generations of Americans, and we will continue to do so in the future. In these uncertain economic times, the livelihoods of those who depend on it cannot be risked. Social Security must remain strong and live up to the ideals in which it was created three-quarters of a century ago. I look forward to keeping this promise to our nation's seniors now and as we move forward into the future."