Blumenthal Celebrates Social Security's 78th Birthday In West Hartford

United States Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) was at the West Hartford Senior Center on Monday to help celebrate Social Security's 78th "birthday" a couple of days early.

Blumenthal was on hand with Deputy Mayor Shari Cantor, numerous union officials and representatives from the Alliance for Retired Americans to commemorate the legislation's 78th anniversary. (Social Security was actually signed into law on Aug. 14, 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.)

Blumenthal used the occasion to reiterate his commitment to protecting Social Security.

The Democratic senior senator from Connecticut noted that 7 out of 10 retirees in the state depend on Social Security; 1 out of 5 women in Connecticut depend on Social Security; and 1 out of 15 children depend on Social Security.

"Social Security is part of the nation's fabric," Blumenthal said.

Blumenthal said that Social Security is solvent today and will be for the next 25 to 30 years under its current structure.

The measure can be further strengthened, Blumenthal said, by having "millionaires pay the same share the rest of us do."

The law must be protected, Blumenthal said, to ensure the existence of the country's middle class. Social Security "makes people consumers," which helps drive the economic recovery.

"I hope the president is celebrating the birthday of Social Security," Blumenthal said. "I hope he understands as we do that cutting Social Security is a bad idea."