Representative Adriano Espaillat Commemorates 89 Years of Social Security
NEW YORK, NY — Today, Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) joined House Democrats to celebrate 89 years of Social Security and oppose Republicans’ plan to cut benefits and raise the retirement age while handing out more tax breaks for the wealthy.
“89 years ago, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law, and since then it has continued to provide our country with the most comprehensive retirement, disability, and survivors benefits,” said Espaillat. “In my district, more than 180,000 constituents rely on Social Security benefits. Republicans have no plan to protect the program for them of the 70 million other Americans that receive assistance. They continue to push for cuts and raising the retirement age while handing out more tax breaks for the wealthy. The overwhelming majority of Americans believe we should enhance Social Security benefits, not cut them.
“I supported the Social Security 2100 Act with nearly 200 of my Democratic colleagues because I know how important this program is to the Social Security recipients in my District. This legislation will provide an across-the-board benefit increase for the first time in more than 50 years, improve the annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA), repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) that currently penalize many public servants, and improve customer service at the Social Security Administration while heeding President Biden’s call to ensure the wealthy pay their fair share. I will continue to work with my Democratic colleagues and President Biden to protect and enhance Social Security for our seniors, veterans, and children and defend it against Republicans’ devastating cuts,” Espaillat concluded.
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Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fourth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 118th Congress. He is also a member of the House Budget Committee and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Deputy Chair as well as Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI). Rep. Espaillat is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.
Media inquiries: Candace Person at Candace.Person@mail.house.gov