FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, July 16, 2020 Contact: Linda Benesch, lbenesch@socialsecurityworks.org
(Washington, DC)
— The following is a statement from Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works, in response to Donald
Trump demanding that
the next coronavirus relief package include a cut in the payroll tax, Social
Security’s dedicated revenue:
“The coronavirus
pandemic is raging across America. Essential workers are in desperate need of
tests and personal protective equipment (PPE). Millions of Americans are at risk of eviction.
Over 57,000 nursing home residents and workers are dead. Hospitals
are in danger of becoming overwhelmed.
Donald Trump is doing
nothing to address any of this. Instead, he’s stated his intentions to hold any
Congressional relief package hostage for his top priority: Defunding Social
Security by starving it of its dedicated revenue.
As economic stimulus,
this approach makes no sense. Payroll tax cuts waste money,
delivering the wealthy and powerful the largest cuts while providing nothing to
those who need it most, such as the millions about to lose their COVID
unemployment benefits.
But cutting Social
Security contributions advances a longstanding right-wing ideological goal:
Weakening our Social Security system.
Congress must not give
into Trump’s hostage-taking. Every Senator and Representative needs to
call Trump’s bluff and work together to quickly send a COVID relief bill to
Trump’s desk — without including any cuts to Social Security’s dedicated
revenue.”
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