1. United States
2. Wisc.
3. Letter

The Trump administration's plan to drastically cut staffing at the Social Security Administration and push for privatization of Social Security is a direct assault on a program that has successfully prevented poverty for millions of Americans since 1935. Firing thousands of employees will only create backlogs, confusion, and difficulties for those trying to access their hard-earned benefits. This manufactured chaos is laying the groundwork to falsely depict Social Security as a failed government program in need of privatization. However, the opposite is true - Social Security has an exceptionally low administrative cost and fraud rate. Privatizing it through schemes like "Social Security Advantage" would simply enrich big banks and corporations at the expense of retirees' financial security. We cannot allow billionaires like Elon Musk who call Social Security "the biggest Ponzi scheme" to dismantle one of our most successful anti-poverty programs. Instead of destructive privatization, we should strengthen Social Security by removing the payroll tax cap so the wealthy pay their fair share into the system they will also benefit from. Protecting and bolstering Social Security is critical for the financial well-being of our nation's retirees, disabled individuals, and their families.