WHEREAS:
Since President Roosevelt signed the program into law in 1935, Social Security has never missed a payment; and
WHEREAS:
Social Security is one of the most successful and widely popular government programs in history. It is trusted by Americans across all political parties and generations to ensure that working people can retire with dignity and that families are protected in case of death or disability; and
WHEREAS:
Today, nearly 75 million Americans depend on Social Security benefits in order to make ends meet, with two-thirds of seniors relying on Social Security for more than half their income; and
WHEREAS:
In a historic victory for public-sector workers and their families and after decades of advocacy by AFSCME members, President Joe Biden in January 2025 signed a law repealing the unfair and punitive Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision (GPO/WEP). No longer will millions of public service workers be penalized with reduced Social Security benefits just for having earned retirement credit in both Social Security and a non-covered public pension plan; and
WHEREAS:
Despite Social Security’s importance to and popularity with the American people, the Trump administration, including Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has endangered the program with reckless staffing cuts and the illegal theft of sensitive data belonging to millions of Americans; and
WHEREAS:
AFSCME and allied unions have led the legal fight to protect Social Security and Americans’ data from these extreme attacks. In January 2026, AFSCME and its allies were successful in getting the U.S. Department of Justice to admit to a judge, after a year of denials, that DOGE staff misused and mishandled our most sensitive personal data, reportedly to provide it to a private company for their use; and
WHEREAS:
The Social Security Trust Fund is estimated to be depleted within the next decade without legislative action, as the baby boomer generation exits the workforce and the ratio of workers to beneficiaries continues to decline.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will continue our work to expand and protect Social Security so Americans can continue to count on the program and retire with dignity, and we will oppose any effort to cut or diminish benefits for today’s or tomorrow’s retirees; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME calls on Congress and the president to enact legislation to ensure that Social Security is fully funded by making the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share and scrapping the cap on the Social Security payroll tax; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME calls on Congress to thoroughly investigate DOGE’s data theft at the Social Security Administration so Americans can learn the truth about who was given access to our most sensitive data and so those responsible for wrongdoing can be brought to justice; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
That AFSCME and affiliates will protect Social Security by mobilizing our working and retiree members to fight back against any threats to the system, advocate for benefit improvements and hold politicians accountable for upholding the promise that Americans can retire with dignity.
SUBMITTED BY:
Mark Bernard, Executive Director and Delegate
AFSCME Council 93
Massachusetts
Juliet White, President and Delegate
Thomas Orawiec, Delegate
Chauntay Sanchez, Delegate
Kereen Henry, Delegate
AFSCME Local 154, District Council 37
New York