Strengthen Social Security

Coalition Letters

In 2017, Strengthen Social Security wrote a letter “in strong opposition to the House Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.” ⁴ Strengthen Social Security called the cuts to the Affordable Care Act an attack on American health care and urged every member of the U.S. Congress to vote against the cuts. ⁴

In 2020, Strengthen Social Security wrote a letter to Congress opposing the Trump administration’s proposal to cut funding for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA), stating that “The only reason to support a FICA cut…is to undermine Social Security.” ⁵

In 2021, Strengthen Social Security wrote a letter to the Senate opposing the TRUST Act. Strengthen Social Security stated that passing the TRUST Act is a, “vote to cut Social Security…[because] it allows Congress to pass cuts to Social Security…while side-stepping the normal legislative process.” ⁶

Steering Committee

The steering committee for Strengthen Social Security is made up of labor unions, religious groups, political advocacy groups, research institutions, and lobbying groups, which all advocate for left-of-center ideologies. ²

Unions

Strengthen Social Security’s steering committee is made up of unions including the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the AFSCME, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the National Education Association (NEA), and the United Steelworkers (USW). ²

Religious Groups

Strengthen Social Security’s steering committee includes religious groups such as B’Nai B’rith International. ² B’Nai B’rith International is a New York-based nonprofit that advocates for issues that “combat anti-Semitism and promote Jewish unity and continuity.” ⁷

Advocacy Organizations

Strengthen Social Security’s steering committee includes advocacy organizations such as the Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA), the Campaign for America’s Future (CAF), Justice in Aging, the NAACP, the National Organization for Women (NOW), and the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC). ²

The ARA is an advocacy organization, made up of mostly retired citizens who are former union members, that pushes for the adoption of most left-of-center policies. ⁸  The CAF is an advocacy organization that works to advance left-of-center movements and policies. ⁹ The NAACP is the oldest civil rights organization in the U.S., and it works to expand race-based policies across the country. ¹⁰ The National Organization for Women and the National Women’s Law Center both focus on issues surrounding women, most commonly concerning abortion access. ^{11 12}

Research Organizations

Strengthen Social Security’s steering committee includes research organizations such as the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). ² The EPI is a labor-union-funded think tank based in Washington, D.C., that advocates left-of-center policies surrounding wages, economic growth, and race-based ideologies. ¹³

Lobbying Groups

Strengthen Social Security’s steering committee includes lobbying groups such as the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM) and Social Security Works. ²

The NCPSSM engages in federal lobbying where it advocates for raising Social Security payroll taxes and opposes all funding cuts to Social Security. ¹⁴