Protect and Expand Social Security and the Social Safety Net

Social Security is one of the most popular government programs in the history of our country and considered a human right. One out of every five seniors in America is living on an income of less than $13,500 a year, and about half of Americans 55 and older have no retirement savings. The average Social Security benefit is less than $1,300 a month.

We believe that it is imperative to oppose mandatory retirement while strengthening pensions, and extending housing, healthcare, and unemployment benefits to individuals 55 and older so that they can are guaranteed a dignified retirement.

We oppose any attempts to privatize Social Security and support protecting a program that has lifted seniors out of poverty, enabling them to maintain an independent and minimum standard of living.

Medicare and Medi-Cal are guaranteed human rights in our country. We believe that the goal of strengthening Medicare and Medi-Cal should include extending the human right to high-quality, affordable healthcare to every individual throughout their life. Currently, we should reform Medicare Part D to make it affordable and accessible to all income levels and address eligibility problems and overly complicated private drug choices. Any additional attempts to privatize Medicare that require additional costs resulting in the burdening those most vulnerable in the population must be stopped.

Our Social Safety Net programs allow individuals to support themselves and their families. All people deserve the opportunity to live in economic security. We support guaranteed government jobs programs, universal basic income/rent for affordable housing to eliminate poverty and homelessness, full funding of food stamps/SNAP/CalFresh programs and expansion of emergency food networks.

We support funding our public agencies and strengthening disaster-response systems as we combat the results of climate change.

We believe an equitable tax system that eliminates corporate welfare and levels the playing field for working families is the basis of continuing to provide a secure social safety net for all of our people.