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Nancy Guy
Bismarck
Margaret Fitzgerald
Fargo
Volunteers, AARP North Dakota Executive Committee
For millions of people, Social Security is much more than a monthly check. It is the financial security earned through a lifetime of hard work. Most of us have worked since we were teens, paying in at every step in our work lives. We've earned our Social Security.
At a time when the cost of everyday essentials like groceries, housing, utilities and health care continue to rise, our peers tell us that those payments matter more than ever.
And they don't just matter to current retirees. When our nieces, nephews and children tell us they don't believe Social Security will be there for them, it makes our commitment to this issue stronger. They pay in, too.
AARP will never stop fighting to protect and strengthen Social Security. That means opposing proposals that would reduce payments, weaken cost-of-living increases or make it harder for North Dakotans to access what they've earned. AARP is clear about where we stand: Cutting the payments Americans have earned is off the table.
The AARP ND team recently asked people why they planned to vote for candidates who will protect Social Security. The answers were telling:
"Social Security is a necessity for all generations, current and up and coming!" -- Sandy
"Our golden years are in trouble... I only vote for those who will support and fix Social Security."
-- Richard
"I paid in good faith. I should get my money back." -- Peggy
"Because we paid for it, and it keeps me in my home." -- Brant
In the next six years, Congress will need to act to ensure Social Security remains strong for the 11680 beneficiaries in Ward County, and for our kids and grandkids, too.
Protecting Social Security is not a partisan issue -- it is a promise to all Americans who have worked hard and paid in. Voters age 50 and older are a powerful force at the ballot box, and this fall, candidates should hear clearly that Social Security must be protected and strengthened. Before you vote, ask where they stand -- because Americans have earned it, future generations are counting on it, and every vote can help defend it.