BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Democratic Party today released the following statement from Chair Karen Carter Peterson on the 79th anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt signing the Social Security Act into law:
“Our nation took a giant step forward 79 years ago today with enactment of the Social Security Act, creating a program that has enabled millions of Americans to retire with dignity. Before Social Security, American seniors were some of our most economically vulnerable citizens. Today they can rely on Social Security to ensure a minimum level of income that has been earned through a lifetime of work. Without Social Security, about half of all Louisiana seniors would slip into poverty.
“Social Security works, but unfortunately, many Republicans, like Congressman Bill Cassidy, want to dismantle or undermine this critical program. Cassidy’s votes to raise the retirement age to 70 are callous and egregious. Louisiana’s seniors deserve better.
“That’s why I’m proud that Senator Mary Landrieu fought back against Republican schemes to privatize Social Security. We can’t leave this vital program up to the whims of Wall Street, and we shouldn’t force seniors to work until age 70 to access the benefits they’ve earned. Louisiana Democrats will keep fighting to preserve Social Security for generations to come.”
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