(Arlington, Va. – Aug. 14, 2026) – On the 91st anniversary of the signing of the Social Security Act, Concord Action Executive Director Dr. Carolyn Bourdeaux released the following statement:
“For 91 years, Social Security represented a promise between generations. Americans pay into the program throughout their working lives with the expectation that it will be there when they retire. Congress has a responsibility to make sure that promise remains sustainable for not only today’s seniors but also for future generations.
“Doing nothing will result in greater than 20% benefit cuts for current and soon-to-be retirees in just six short years – vulnerable seniors cannot afford this kind of cut. But throwing it on the national credit card will require the country to deficit finance hundreds of billions more each year – even as working families are struggling with higher interest rates and a rising cost of living. In the coming weeks, the country will cross the threshold of $40 trillion in debt, an economic ball and chain around the ankle of the nation for generations to come.
“At Concord Action, we want our elected leaders to answer one simple question: what’s the plan?
“We can fix this in a way that is fair, but the time for change is now, and every candidate for office needs to tell voters what they plan to do.The longer Congress waits, the fewer options we will have and the more painful those options will become.
“The best way to celebrate Social Security’s 91st birthday is to make sure the program is still strong when it turns 100 and well beyond – without bankrupting the next generation.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Later today, Concord Action will host “Social Security Smackdown,” a virtual town hall featuring Romina Boccia of the Cato Institute and Wendell Primus of the Brookings Institution for a discussion of the challenges facing Social Security and competing approaches to reform. The event begins at 11 a.m. ET. Register here.
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About Concord Action
Concord Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance fiscal responsibility through education, advocacy and citizen engagement. The organization mobilizes Americans to urge lawmakers from both parties to address the national debt, pay for their priorities and put the federal budget on a sustainable path.
About Carolyn Bourdeaux
Dr. Carolyn Bourdeaux is the executive director of Concord Action and the Concord Coalition and a former member of Congress from Georgia. An expert in public finance, she previously directed the Georgia Senate Budget and Evaluation Office during the Great Recession and served in Congress from 2021 to 2023, where she worked on bipartisan budget reform, infrastructure, health care and small-business policy.
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