Bernie Sanders Calls for Expansion of Social Security Benefits

[eridani]

http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/31216-bernie-sanders-calls-for-expansion-of-social-security-benefits

But Sanders argued that the political debate was moving in his direction, particularly since many Democrats have distanced themselves from proposals floated by the White House two years ago that would have trimmed social security costs.

And he warned that Republican donors such as the Koch brothers were still seeking ways to undermine social security.

“The momentum is with us and not with them,” said the Vermont senator to chants of “Bernie, Bernie” at the Alliance for Retired Americans annual legislative conference in Washington.

“A few years ago if people talked about expanding social security, people would say you are nuts; we’ve got to cut social security. But because of the work done by ARA and trade unions and guess what: there was a poll two weeks ago in the Wall Street Journal and 61 to 20% of people said they wanted to expand social security.”

Hillary Clinton, the Democratic frontrunner for 2016, has also been emphatic about the need to protect the programme, but Sanders advocates paying for an expansion by eliminating the contributions ceiling for higher wage-earners.

“We are going to scrap the cap,” he told the ARA conference. “And very wealthy people are going to have to start paying their fair share. When we do that, not only do we extend the life of social security but we expand benefits too.”

[Cleita]

1. If he gets it, the fall out is the economy will improve.

All us old farts will be out there spending money on necessities we have been doing without.

[eridani]

2. From the conference on ageing--

Facing 'Retirement Crisis,' Sanders Leads Charge for Social Security Expansion

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/07/13/facing-retirement-crisis-sanders-leads-charge-social-security-expansion

On the eve of a once-in-a-decade White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA)—and in the face of what they describe as the "impending retirement savings crisis facing this nation"—a group of 70 Democratic lawmakers led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) on Sunday called on President Barack Obama to expand Social Security benefits.

"We write today to request your help in ensuring that Americans continue to have sufficient resources to maintain their standard of living in old age," said 69 U.S. House members, plus Sens. Sanders, Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), in a letter (pdf) sent to the White House Sunday evening.

Citing widespread and bipartisan support among the American public, the letter urges Obama to "include proposals to expand Social Security benefits for millions of Americans in your policy brief at the upcoming Conference."

In fact, the lawmakers continue, "[a]s Social Security is affordable, universal, efficient, secure, portable, distributionally fair, and popular, expanding its modest benefits should be the number one retirement security recommendation of the White House Conference on Aging."

A coalition of progressive civil society groups echoed that call on Monday, when they delivered more than 2.5 million petition signatures also demanding that the Obama Administration prioritize Social Security expansion when crafting aging policy.