In Times of National Crisis, Social Security is There for Us
Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works
On this 19th anniversary of the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001, we find ourselves in the midst of several crises, all battering us simultaneously. Nineteen years later, Donald Trump is doing everything he can to divide us and tear down our fundamental institutions. Consequently, it is especially important today to remember how we came together in the aftermath of 9/11 and how essential our institutions were in response to that tragic day.
Though not usually thought of as one of the nation’s first responders, our Social Security system was there in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, protecting and supporting the families of the victims. Social Security was among the first insurers on the scene, working to locate victims’ families and assist them in claiming the benefits their loved ones had earned for them.
By Thursday, September 13, just two days after that tragic day, the employees of the Social Security Administration were in overdrive, working 15-hour days, seven days a week. The families of virtually every worker who perished that day were eligible for Social Security survivor benefits. The daunting task facing Social Security was to identify those families, contact them, and help them secure the financial protection their loved ones had earned.
A stay-at-home dad lost his wife in the World Trade Center on September 11. In the midst of his grieving, he could see no way to remain at home with his child or support the child at the level they had been living. Unaware of the valuable Social Security benefits his wife had earned for her family through her work, he reluctantly put the family home on the market after that tragic day. The call from Social Security, from out of the blue, was a godsend. He hung up the phone and called his real estate agent. He could keep his home, after all.
Virtually every child who lost a parent on 9/11 received Social Security benefits, as well as surviving spouses. That’s over 2,375 children and 850 surviving spouses. And those left with severe disabilities as a result of the attacks, over 640 people, received Social Security benefits, along with 99 of their children and spouses. In addition, over 1,800 family members received one-time payments.
The extraordinary effort on the part of Social Security’s civil servants was on top of their regular work, which did not stop. It was on top of dealing with the trauma with which all Americans, including these dedicated first responders, were coping.
They performed that work exceptionally well. Just three weeks after the tragic day, the stay-at-home dad and his child, as well as the other victims’ families, were among the 47 million beneficiaries who received those vital Social Security benefits.
As that experience — as well as Social Security’s response to Hurricane Katrina and other personal and national crises — underscores, this essential institution is there to provide economic stability in times of tragedy and grief.
Right now, we’re in the midst of many crises. We’re in the middle of a pandemic that has already taken over 190,000 lives — with nursing home residents and workers accounting for over 40 percent of the deaths. Our western states are experiencing enormous and deadly wildfires. Gulf states are dealing with the terrible aftermath of Hurricane Laura. We are experiencing the worst economy since the Great Depression and a long overdue reckoning with racial injustice.
In a pandemic where staying home is often the safest option to stay healthy, Social Security allows seniors and people with disabilities — those most threatened by the coronavirus — the modest income they need to be able to pay rent, buy food, and fill life-saving prescriptions. Moreover, Social Security’s guaranteed monthly retirement benefits are there for those older Americans who have lost jobs and, unable to return to work, are able to claim their earned benefits.
While Social Security cannot correct our nation’s racism, it is especially important to people of color, women, the LGBTQ community, and others who have faced discrimination. Moreover, Social Security’s disability and survivor benefits, which are disproportionately earned by people of color, implicitly compensates a bit for some of the health and longevity inequalities which are a product of that racism.
As important as Social Security is for those who retire after a lifetime of work, it is most accurate to see it as a program that protects the entire family. It is there for those fortunate to live to old age. It is also there when tragedy strikes in the form of death or work-ending illness or injury.
With every paycheck, workers contribute to Social Security’s Old Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Disability Insurance Trust Fund. These trust funds, now and in the future, pay benefits to the surviving children and spouses who lost loved ones to COVID-19 and the natural disasters plaguing the Western and Southern states. They pay benefits to those who suffer long-term disabilities as a result of those crises.
Those trust funds to which we all contribute pay benefits to the nation’s seniors who have contributed to building our nation, to the nation’s veterans and to the nation’s workers, when wages are lost in the event of death, disability or old age. The payments to the surviving 9/11 families and first responders came from these same Social Security trust funds.
The unity in the aftermath of 9/11 is a sentiment we should try to restore to our troubled nation. We’ve never felt more divided, but in the face of so many crises, it’s imperative that we come together. To survive, we must recognize that we are the United States. We are strongest when we join together, recognizing our common humanity, sharing our risks and taking responsibility. Those are the values that underlie our Social Security system.
People of all races, genders, religions, sexual orientations, and political affiliations contribute to Social Security. Whether we are born in the United States or elsewhere, we all contribute, pooling our risks and sharing our responsibilities.
As divided as we are over many issues, we are united in our overwhelming and deep support for Social Security. Poll after poll finds that we believe Social Security is more important than ever, that it should not be cut, but rather, should be expanded.
The level and depth of support is unsurprising. Social Security represents the best of American values. It unites us. President Dwight Eisenhower described it as “a reflection of the American heritage of sturdy self-reliance which has made our country strong and kept it free.” Former Senator Bill Bradley insightfully explained, “Social Security is the best expression of community in America.”
Our nation is facing a level of crisis and uncertainty unprecedented since the Great Depression. President Franklin D. Roosevelt responded to that crisis by creating our Social Security system. Now, we must come together to build on FDR’s foundation by increasing Social Security’s modest benefits. An expanded Social Security will provide exactly what’s needed in a crisis: Greater stability and peace of mind for all of us.
The upcoming election is a serious test of our values. Donald Trump is a divider. Joe Biden is a uniter. He wants to be president of all of us. Donald Trump threatens our Social Security system. Joe Biden promises to protect, strengthen, and expand Social Security. Who wins may determine how we survive future times of crisis.
