AARP Hearing Center
Key takeaways
- Nancy LeaMond urged lawmakers not to cut earned Social Security payments.
- She said the debate should focus on how Congress addresses Social Security.
- She called for decisions to be made openly through the congressional process.
Summary
Social Security is the focus of Nancy LeaMond’s testimony before the Senate, where she emphasizes protecting benefits that Americans have earned through a lifetime of work. She argues that action is needed and that the key question is how Congress chooses to address the program’s future.
LeaMond cautions against relying on special commissions, saying such efforts have often fallen short. Instead, she calls for Congress to strengthen and protect Social Security through a transparent process that remains fully visible to the American people.
The key takeaways and summary were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.
Full transcript
[0:00:00] So our message is straightforward.
[0:00:02] Do not cut Social Security that people have earned.
[0:00:05] And to be clear, there is work to do.
[0:00:08] The question for us today is not whether to act — it’s how Congress acts.
[0:00:14] The history of special commissions is littered with very good intentions
[0:00:19] and failed results that typically lack the clout, the power and the
[0:00:23] jurisdiction to do this hard work.
[0:00:26] Social Security’s future belongs at this table before this committee.
[0:00:31] Protect and strengthen Social Security without cutting the benefits Americans
[0:00:35] have earned through a lifetime of work, and do this in Congress through regular
[0:00:40] order in full view of the American people, because Social Security is far
[0:00:46] too important to be rushed, outsourced or decided behind closed doors.
