FILE – (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Bob Casey (D-PA) held a hearing entitled, “Keeping Our Promise to Older Adults and People with Disabilities: The Status of Social Security Today.” The hearing examined the importance of preserving Social Security and the critical support the program provides for millions of seniors across Pennsylvania and the Nation. At the hearing, Chairman Casey heard testimony from newly appointed Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Martin O’Malley about the agency’s plans to protect the critical benefits that Social Security provides and ensure SSA workers receive the support they need. This was Commissioner O’Malley’s first appearance in the Senate since his confirmation in December.

During the hearing, Chairman Casey emphasized his support for preserving Social Security benefits and protecting it from attacks. He denounced plans by some Republican politicians to cut Social Security, saying, “Social Security is the most successful antipoverty program to date, allowing tens of millions of Americans, including older adults, people with disabilities, and children to live with dignity. Despite this, we have heard outlandish proposals from some that Congress should consider cutting Social Security. Let me be clear—I will never support cuts to Social Security. Social Security is a lifeline for Americans of all walks of life—we have made a promise to deliver benefits to Americans, and I will not go back on that promise.”

 

Chairman Casey has long been one of the Senate’s strongest champions for protecting Social Security and ensuring the program’s promise to every American is fulfilled. This week, he introduced the Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act, which would change how Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Social Security benefits are calculated—ensuring benefit adjustments are robust and reflective of the true costs incurred by older adults. He also introduced the SWIFT Act in September, which would fix outdated and arbitrary restrictions on Social Security benefits for widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses who often face unnecessary and burdensome hurdles to access Social Security benefits despite disproportionately experiencing poverty.