Hey Rep. Lawler, New York Seniors Are NOT Fraudsters!
Congressman Lawler Remains Silent as Trump Administration Continues Its Attack on Social Security
NEW YORK — Last week, Trump Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, outrageously claimed that American seniors who receive Social Security benefits would not complain if the Administration didn’t send out checks for a month. Those who made noise about missing benefits, the billionaire former Wall Street executive asserted, were ‘fraudsters’ abusing the system. This is just the Trump Administration’s latest attack on Social Security, which is threatening to fire some 7,000 employees and attempting to close or reduce services at field offices across New York, all in an effort to pay for massive tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy.
Over 3.7 million New Yorkers rely on Social Security benefits each month to pay for essentials like food, housing, and medical expenses. For many, Social Security benefits make up all or most of their monthly income. While Congressman Mike Lawler has tried to present himself as a staunch defender of Social Security, he has failed to stand up for his constituents and denounce Secretary Lutnick’s statement.
“I am able to survive and make my community better because I have Social Security and a public teacher’s pension, thanks to my union,’” said Dee Volz, a retired teacher from Peekskill who recently celebrated her 102nd birthday. “We’ve paid into a system with faith that it will provide and support us in the future—now the Trump Administration is putting that all at risk. Mike Lawler needs to denounce Secretary Lutnick’s offensive statement and show us how he plans to fight to protect the benefits we’ve paid into and earned. If I can do it, so can he!”
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About Empire State Voices
Empire State Voices (ESV) is a multi-year campaign dedicated to amplifying the voices of everyday working New Yorkers. ESV is fighting for economic policies that make life more affordable for constituents and holding members of Congress across the state accountable when they fail to do the same.
