Last week, Congressman Pat Ryan continued his fight for Hudson Valley seniors, introducing the “Protecting Social Security Act,” landmark legislation that will ensure Social Security benefits cannot be cut and that seniors and families will continue to receive the benefits they have earned. Ryan joined with Hudson Valley seniors, community leaders, and local officials to introduce the bill at the Newburgh Armory ahead of his Constituent Advocacy Resources Empowerment Services (C.A.R.E.S.) Van Social Security and Medicare tour. Over the next month, Ryan and his office will be bringing one-on-one assistance with Social Security and Medicare directly to seniors in their own communities.

“With the economic pressure we’re all feeling right now, the last thing anyone should be worried about is feeling secure in their retirement. As far-right Republicans continue to push for cuts to Social Security, this bill sends a message once and for all: there will be no cuts, your benefits are protected, and they should be easily accessible, no matter where you live,” the Congressman said. “Social Security represents a sacred promise made by our country to our seniors – you worked your whole lives for these benefits, and in return, we have your back. I’ve got your back, and I won’t rest until Social Security is protected for good.”

“The government is designed to support the people’s safety, liberty and societal function and sustainability,” said Kyle Conway, vice president of the NAACP of Newburgh and Highland Falls. “For our government to not take care of its citizens who utilize a service they invest in is both a moral violation and a detour from its obligations to the American people. Let us work to ensure our elected officials are considerate of every type of citizens’ quest for life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness when they create or enforce policies. Social Security is a valuable service that works when we honor it and its purpose to the citizens of America.”

“Newburgh seniors have worked their entire life for these benefits – I will do whatever I can to make sure Social Security is never cut,” said Newburgh Mayor Torrance Harvey. “We also have to make sure these benefits are fully accessible, especially after the Newburgh office was closed, pulling the rug out from under seniors who have depended on it for decades. I’m proud to fight alongside Congressman Pat Ryan to ensure that Social Security is protected for Newburgh seniors and to keep direct assistance with the vital program right here in our community.”

“I’m currently preparing to retire and my Social Security will play a crucial part in supporting my wife and I through retirement,” said Highland Falls veteran Keith Proctor. “I have done my share - contributing to Social Security for nearly 50 years with hard work, including serving in the military and deploying to Iraq in 2003, to support myself, my family, my community, and my country. My grandparents lived solely on their monthly Social Security check in their retirement. Unfortunately, those days are way gone, but I could not even imagine what I would do if I were to lose it altogether. That’s why I get so frustrated and disillusioned when I hear the discussions in Congress about cutting or even eliminating this necessary program. I am very comforted knowing that Congressman Ryan is going to bat for my entire family and I. My three daughters recently started their careers and are contributing to their retirements at this moment. I want this benefit to continue for their sake as much as mine. Thank you, Congressman Ryan for representing and protecting our benefits and rights and introducing the Protecting Social Security Act.”

In the face of continued threats to cut Social Security, Congressman Ryan’s Protecting Social Security Act would guarantee that Social Security benefits for hard-working Americans could not be decreased or taken away. Among other things, the bill:

- Permanently protects Social Security from those seeking to cut benefits

- Affirms that Social Security is an earned benefit that Americans have paid into over the course of their lifetime and belongs to those who have worked for it

- Calls out that Social Security benefits have not been expanded in over 50 years

- Notes that nearly 9 out of every 10 people over the age of 65 receive Social Security benefits, that over 6 million children depend on Social Security, and nearly 9 million veterans are beneficiaries, and yet the House Republican Study Committee approved a plan that would increase the retirement age to 69

- Re-establishes a Social Security office in Ulster County

- Protects Social Security for generations to come by ensuring that if the trust fund become insolvent, emergency funds would immediately be transferred from the Treasury to the Social Security trust funds so that recipients don’t see a decrease in benefit payments while Congress devises a solution

- Requires both the Senate and House of Representatives to vote on a permanent funding source, namely, billionaires and corporate monopolies, to fund the Social Security trust fund should it become insolvent.