Virginia Organizing delivered hundreds of letters, postcards, and other messages from constituents to four of U.S. Senator Mark Warner’s state offices and U.S. Senator Tim Kaine’s Richmond office with the same message: protect and strengthen Social Security.
“I think it's important to protect Social Security because usually that's the only means the elderly and disabled have to live on,” said Martinsville Virginia Organizing Chapter leader Mary E. Farris. “If it's cut any more, there'll be a lot of people living way below the poverty line. Some people won't make it at all—most of us can barely make it now. If anything's taken away, many of us will just be destitute.”
Congress is considering changes to the cost of living adjustments of Social Security. Currently, Social Security adjustments are tied to the inflation index, but some elected officials are attempting to chain the adjustments to the Consumer Price Index, which would result in cuts in payments to those who rely on Social Security the most.
Peggy Caverly, a Virginia Organizing leader in South Hampton Roads, said, “As a senior, I’m particularly concerned with any attempt to cut Social Security. We have done what we were supposed to do—we worked hard, paid into Social Security, and are living on fixed incomes, watching our budgets. The government needs to come through for us. We should stop protecting corporate interests and tax loopholes for the wealthiest instead of putting the burden on seniors!”
In addition to constituent letters, a letter from the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare and a letter from Virginia Organizing (full text available here) were delivered.
In the letter from Virginia Organizing, Chairperson Sandra A. Cook writes, “We cannot allow Social Security to fail, and the solution is not forcing those who have the least to sacrifice the most in order to fix any problems with the program. We have to do better for those who rely on this program for survival. We have to do better for future generations.”
