Demonstrations were planned or held in a few U.S. cities including New York on August 18, following about 50 events that were held nationwide over the weekend including in Peekskill to show support for protecting Social Security. A Monday afternoon gathering at the Manhattan location of the union 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East was to be a continuation of weekend rallies to mark the 90th anniversary of Social Security having been signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) on August 14, 1935, and rally for support of the Social Security program as it was originally established.
The Social Security Administration says that this year 72 million beneficiaries will receive more than $1.6 trillion in payments. At the same time, some people are concerned that the Trump Administration will try to make good on the long-time wish by some Republicans to privatize Social Security. Some see that beginning with the establishment of “Trump Accounts” in the recent tax and spending bill signed into law by President Trump that can be used for private investment of retirement funds.
According to the White House, “Trump Accounts for newborns will be seeded with a one-time government contribution of $1,000. The accounts will track a stock index and allow for additional private contributions of up to $5,000 per year. This will afford a generation of children the chance to experience the miracle of compounded growth and set them on a course for prosperity from the very beginning.”
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has described the new “Trump Accounts” as not only way to build wealth but also as a “backdoor for privatizing Social Security.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York in a speech on the Senate floor said, “Bessent actually slipped and told the truth: Donald Trump and his government want to privatize Social Security.”
In Peekskill, a group gathered in Depew Park to defend Social Security as it has existed since it was created under the Roosevelt Administration.
Social Security has been one of the most successful government programs of the last 100 years,” said New York State Sen. Pete Harckham. “It has provided countless hardworking Americans with a safety net after a long career contributing to our economy. The Trump Administration’s attempts to undermine Social Security and deny future generations the hard-earned benefits they deserve after a lifetime of working are emblematic of this administration’s decision to turn its back on regular people to give tax cuts to the ultra-wealthy.”
A 102-year-old woman from Peekskill identified only as Diane recalled hearing Roosevelt in a fireside chat on the radio talking about Social Security. “My cabinet and I have decided that you do not want your elderly to die in loneliness and with a lack of survival,” she quoted FDR as saying. “We have started a program we are calling Social Security. Social because it covers every single person.”
Dylan Wheeler of the group Empire State Voices that was involved in organizing the Peekskill gathering noted that nearly four million New Yorkers and their families depend on Social Security.
