(Washington,
D.C.) –Today, U.S Senator Patty Murray joined with hundreds of local seniors at
the Greenwood Senior Center in Seattle to celebrate the 75th
Anniversary of Social Security being signed into law. Seniors stood up to tell
their stories about how important the program is to them, and the group
celebrated with cake and singing of “Happy Birthday.” Senator Murray
talked to the group about the importance of Social Security to Washington state
seniors and her commitment to protect it from cuts and privatization.
The
full text of Senator Murray’s remarks today follows:
“Thank
you so much Robby for that introduction.
“You
know, Robby—I thought you were retired—but you seem to be more active now than
ever before! You were determined to put together a birthday celebration for
Social Security—and this could never have happened without your hard work and
commitment. Can we give Robby a round of applause?
“I
want to thank all of you for coming out today to celebrate with us. And I want
to join everyone here in wishing Social Security a happy 75th
birthday!
“We
just heard some powerful personal stories about the role Social Security plays
in the lives of our seniors.
“It’s
stories like these that make me so proud to stand up and fight for this great
program—and that truly demonstrate the critical need to protect it for our
seniors now and for future generations.
“Some
of you here in this room may remember that August day in 1935 when President
Roosevelt signed Social Security into law and forever changed what it meant to
be a senior in America.
“Some
of you may even remember the time before that. Seeing grandmothers and
grandfathers struggle to afford groceries, or stay in their homes— with nothing
standing between hard luck and a life on the streets.
“But
Social Security changed all of that. It gave seniors across America a measure
of dignity and a well-deserved cushion after a life of hard work. It made sure
they were protected, and it lifted millions out of poverty.
“Social
Security changed America for the better back in 1935—and it is just as
important today.
“Without
Social Security, nearly half of Americans age 65 and older would live in
poverty right now. Nearly half!
“You
know, now that Social Security has been around for 75 years, it’s easy for
Americans to take it for granted.
“Most
people today assume that if they work hard, obey the law, and pay their
taxes—Social Security will be there to back them up when the time comes to
retire.
“But
unfortunately, we can’t take it for granted. Because there are special interest
groups and politicians who are trying to gut this critical program.
“As
you all know, just a few years ago I stood up and fought against a Republican party
that wanted to privatize Social Security.
“They
wanted to take the Security out of Social Security—and they wanted to privatize
it and turn it over to the free market.
“To
companies like Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers—and without any guarantees that
millions of seniors won’t fall into poverty if the market fell.
“So
I stood up and fought this terrible plan—I was so glad to have people like all
of you standing by my side. And we have seen over the past year a perfect
demonstration of just how dangerous it would have been to hand Social Security
over to Wall Street!
“But
you know something, one time on that third rail of politics wasn’t enough for
some Republicans—they are still working to privatize and cut Social Security!
“They
know America rejected their attempts back in 2005—but these Republicans are
fighting for the Wall Street firms and special interests that would reap
billions of dollars if they got their hands on your Social Security checks.
“I
don’t think anyone in this room wants this to happen. I don’t think seniors
across Washington state want that to happen. And as long as I am your United
States Senator, I am not going to allow that to happen!
“Because
when I look at a program like Social Security, I don’t see a program—I see a promise.
It’s a promise from one generation to the next. It’s a promise from our
government to our seniors. And it’s a promise that reflects our
values.
“In
a little while we are going to hear from a young woman named Teresa. And I have
children and a grandson who I care about very much.
“So
I am never going to stop fighting to protect Social Security for our seniors,
for Teresa’ generation, for my grandson, and for generations to come.
“So
thank you all again for inviting me here today. And for everything
you all do for our families, communities, and state.
“I
look forward to seeing you at the 80th birthday!”
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