A recent federal reportestimates that funding for Social Security benefits for millions of Americans will be depleted in 13 years. U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal and Connecticut Congressman John Larson have reintroduced legislation to expand funding to social security.
Blumenthal said the bill would make a difference to Connecticut families especially.
“If you talk to your friends and neighbors, you know social security is the major force to keep children out of poverty,” Blumenthal said. “It is the major force to keep women out of poverty.”
The bill is called Social Security 2100 and has almost 200 co-sponsors. It was first introduced in 2019 but was stalled by the pandemic.
Connecticut Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, who joined her federal colleagues for the announcement on Monday, said the bill would help provide retirees with the dignity and security that they deserve.
“Twenty two percent of adults in the United States have less than $5,000 saved for retirement, while another 15% have no savings at all,” she said.
The bill is designed to fund benefits and repeal provisions that penalize more than 2 million low-income Americans who work in public service. Another part includes a measure that would improve benefits for millions of more seniors who receive social security checks but remain under the poverty line.
“The pandemic has only underscored what we already knew and has exacerbated systemic inequities — current benefits are not enough!” Larson said. “Five million seniors are living in poverty due to longstanding discrimination in the labor force that affects mostly people of color and women. These are our sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles and neighbors.”
