Social Security at 90: The Promise We Made to Each Other
President Rossevelt signs the Social Security Act, August 14, 1935
Today marks 90 years since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law, a landmark moment in American history that fundamentally reshaped how we care for one another.
Born out of the Great Depression, Social Security was a response to a basic and urgent truth: that a just society doesn’t leave its elders, its disabled, or its grieving families behind. It was never meant to be charity. It was a system built on mutual responsibility- a social contract. One generation supporting the next, and trusting that when their time came, they would be supported in turn.
Most of us don’t think about Social Security every day. But we’ve all been paying into it for years, from our first jobs to our latest paychecks. It’s woven into the fabric of our working lives, a small deduction that carries enormous meaning. That deduction represents our shared belief that work should lead to security, that aging should not mean poverty, and that loss should not mean destitution.
This is not a gift. It’s not a bonus. It’s not a handout.
It’s what we’ve earned.
And yet, this promise- this quiet pillar of American life- is under threat. Unless action is taken, Social Security is projected to face funding shortfalls by 2033. That doesn’t mean it disappears, but it does mean benefits could be reduced, benefits that millions of Americans rely on to survive.
We often hear that Social Security is "running out of money," but the truth is more nuanced. The system isn’t broken. It’s strained and only because our leaders have delayed the hard but necessary decisions to ensure its long-term sustainability. There are solutions on the table. What’s missing is political will.
So what does that mean for us?
It means this anniversary isn’t just a moment for reflection- it’s a call to action.
We have to remind our elected officials that Social Security isn’t optional. It’s essential. It’s personal. And it’s worth protecting, not just for today’s retirees, but for our children, our grandchildren, and every worker who contributes with the expectation that they, too, will one day retire with dignity.
This isn’t about politics. It’s about values. It’s about whether we still believe in the idea that we are responsible for one another, that the strength of a society is measured not by how it treats the powerful, but by how it protects the vulnerable.
So today, on this 90th anniversary, let’s not just celebrate Social Security. Let’s defend it.
Find your representative and tell them what Social Security means to you: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
Let’s honor the promise made in 1935 and ensure it holds strong for the next 90 years.