FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 1, 2016

Contact: Lacy Crawford, Jr., lcrawford@socialsecurityworks.org

Statement On President Obama Coming Out in Support of Expanding Social Security Benefits

(Washington, DC) —The following is a statement from the president of Social Security Works, Nancy Altman, on President Obama’s call for Social Security expansion:

Today, President Barack Obama added to his already impressive legacy.  By endorsing expanding, not cutting, Social Security, he has thwarted a thirty-year, billionaire-funded campaign to undermine confidence in the future of Social Security.  He has announced loudly and clearly that the question whether to expand or cut Social Security is one of values, plain and simple.

The Democratic Party has historically been the party of Social Security and the middle class. President Obama’s support for expanding Social Security shows that it still is. This election presents Americans with a clear choice: are they for expanding Social Security as President Obama, Secretary Clinton, Senator Sanders, 90 percent of all Senate Democrats and 75 percent of all House Democrats are? Or are they for dismantling the program brick by brick as advocated by Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker Paul Ryan, and Republican nominee Donald Trump (when his spokespeople talk to billionaires)?

Expanding Social Security is profoundly wise policy. We applaud President Obama for recognizing this truth with his bold words.

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Social Security Works is the convening group in the Strengthen Social Security Campaign, a coalition comprised of more than 350 national and state organizations representing more than 50 million Americans from many of the nation’s leading aging, labor, disability, women’s, children, consumer, civil rights and equality organizations.