Washington, DC – This Thursday, January 18th, Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Bob Casey (D-PA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) will join advocates and seniors for a press conference opposing Republican plans to cut $492 million from the Social Security Administration’s budget in the upcoming government funding bill. Advocates and seniors will then deliver the petitions to Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY.) The petition signatures were collected by CREDO Action, Social Security Works, Economic Policy Institute, American Federation of Government Employees, Alliance for Retired Americans, and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. The event will be at 11am EST in 608 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Since 2011, baby boomers have been retiring at the rate of 10,000 a day, expanding the population that SSA serves. In recent years, the agency has had to close 64 field offices due to budget constraints. The average wait time for a disability hearing decision is a record high 627 days. We need to fully fund the Social Security Administration, not subject it to cuts that make it increasingly difficult for Americans to access their earned benefits.