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Don’t make Social Security a victim

by Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) - 04/13/11 3:03 PM ET

We look forward to receiving your recommendations for improving the long-term fiscal outlook of the country. However, we believe that any discussion of long-term debt issues must consider the strong fiscal integrity of Social Security—which is prohibited by law from adding to the national budget deficit and will have built a $4.3 trillion surplus by 2023. Social Security has no place in any deficit reduction plan.

While the plan put forward by the co-chairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform did not gather enough votes to make a formal recommendation, we remain concerned that the Bowles-Simpson proposal may serve as a starting point for budget negotiations. We consider this plan to be flawed in several key areas, especially with respect to its proposed cuts to Social Security Benefits. We believe that any proposal that includes cuts to a popular, fiscally sound program lacks credibility and does not reflect the political center.

As elected representatives, we are committed to improving the fiscal health of our country and we look forward to working with you to achieve this goal. We urge you to join us in protecting and strengthening Social Security, which for 75 years has lifted Americans out of poverty. Social Security must not be a victim of any misguided attempt to reduce federal budget deficits on the backs of working families.

Sincerely,

Rep. John Conyers, Jr.
Member of Congress

Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva
Member of Congress