Social Security Administration Should Recognize 70th Anniversary of Social Security

Social Security Administration Should Recognize 70th Anniversary of Social Security

Thursday, August 4, 2005

Contact: Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. â€" House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, Congressman Charles Rangel of New York, and Senator Max Baucus of Montana sent the following letter this week to Social Security Commissioner Jo Anne Barnhart on the Social Security Administration’s decision to not hold any public events recognizing the 70th anniversary of Social Security.

Below is the text of the letter:

August 1, 2005

The Honorable Jo Anne B. Barnhart
Commissioner of Social Security
Social Security Administration
6401 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, Maryland 21234

Dear Commissioner Barnhart:

As you know, August 14, 2005, is the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Social Security Act by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt -- the landmark legislation that created Social Security. It has come to our attention that the Social Security Administration (SSA) is not planning any kind of public, agency-wide recognition of this milestone for a program so vital to millions of Americans.

In the past, SSA has taken advantage of these opportunities to promote Social Security’s success nationwide and to educate the public about the value of the benefits they were earning. It is particularly striking that SSA has chosen to deviate from past practice and disregard the 70th anniversary, while the President has been aggressively promoting his plan to replace Social Security’s guaranteed benefit with private accounts that are subject to the fluctuations of the stock market.

For previous anniversaries, SSA engaged in a wealth of activities designed to commemorate the enactment of the watershed legislation that has protected millions of American families, recognize its importance to today’s workers, and educate the public about the value of Social Security’s guaranteed benefits. These activities included announcements on radio, television, and in newspapers, as well as commemorative events at many of SSA’s 1,300 field offices. The past activities have even included an anniversary greeting on SSA’s 800 number and a scoreboard announcement at Yankee Stadium.

We would appreciate an explanation of why SSA is choosing not to commemorate this significant event and is forgoing this opportunity to further inform Americans about the benefits Social Security provides in safeguarding economic security. Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to receiving your response.

Sincerely,

Nancy Pelosi
Democratic Leader
U.S. House of Representatives

Harry Reid
Democratic Leader
U.S. Senate

Charles B. Rangel
Ranking Member
Committee on Ways and Means
U.S. House of Representatives

Max Baucus
Ranking Member
Committee on Finance
U.S. Senate