Presidential Message on the Anniversary of the Social Security Act
Today, our Nation commemorates 91 years since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the landmark Social Security Act into law. For more than nine decades, this program has stood as a fundamental promise at the heart of American life, guaranteeing that the men and women who built our country, raised our families, and powered the greatest economy on Earth can live out their later years with the security and prosperity they earned.
As President, I will always defend Social Security, protect America’s seniors, and invest in the dedicated workers who form the backbone of our Republic. To that end, I proudly signed the Working Families Tax Cuts Act into law, which eliminated federal taxes on Social Security benefits for millions of seniors—the largest tax break in history for older Americans—empowering them to keep more of what they have earned through a lifetime of work. Within a single year, more than 35 million senior citizens have claimed an average deduction of over $7,500, providing real savings for households all across America during tax season. This relief will continue to strengthen the financial security of our country’s retirees, and giving them the dignity, stability, and peace of mind they deserve after years of dedication in the workforce.
Preserving Social Security for future generations also requires eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in every corner of the program. These benefits belong to the American citizens who earned them through decades of honest labor, and my Administration will never allow criminal illegal aliens and fraudsters to raid a system they never paid into. To end this theft, I signed a Presidential Memorandum stopping illegal aliens and other ineligible individuals from obtaining Social Security Act benefits—and we are deporting illegal aliens who steal from our country. Through these actions, we are restoring integrity to Social Security and safeguarding every last dollar for the hardworking Americans who fund it.
From sweeping tax relief to lower costs for prescription drugs, health care, and everyday essentials, my Administration is working tirelessly to make life more affordable for all Americans. We will ensure that Social Security remains unshakable and that every American senior can enjoy the safe, secure retirement they worked a lifetime to achieve.
