If we didn't have Social Security, our seniors would live mostly in poverty. You'd have another 18 million people in poverty.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Before Social Security existed, about half of America's senior citizens lived in poverty.
Without Social Security, poverty rates for African American seniors would more than double.
Since Social Security was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935 to ensure economic security for American workers, poverty among American seniors has dramatically declined.
Imagine a country where the vast majority of seniors live in poverty, a country where for many there are no golden years, but a time of struggle and dependence. That was the United States before the creation of Social Security, which has proven to be one of the most effective and important government programs in our history.
Social Security is the only thing most Americans can count on to keep them out of poverty during retirement.
In 1935, the year Social Security was created, the poverty rate for seniors was over 70%.
Social Security not only helps Americans enjoy a secure retirement, it has also kept millions of Americans out of poverty.
As a result of the current universal benefit, the poverty rate for seniors in America is about 10%. Without the universal benefit, it would be over 50%.
We can preserve Social Security benefits for generations of Americans without privatizing this important program.
We must ensure that today's seniors' benefits are rock solid and find a solution that fixes Social Security for the next generation that is just entering the workforce.
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