The fight to protect Social Security continues

Find out what's next in the campaign to save Social Security by joining a conference call with  Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairman Rep. Keith Ellison this Monday (tomorrow) at 9 p.m. ET. Join the call for a political update and to hear from MoveOn leaders fighting to defend Social Security. Together, we'll plot MoveOn's next steps in our campaign. Can you dial in? RSVP for the call! Highlights from the big nationwide Mobilization to Protect Social Security MoveOn members found creative ways to protest President Obama's proposed Social Security cuts this week. Some MoveOn members dressed in chains to protest "chained CPI." Others brought cans of cat food. Click here for a slideshow of these pictures and more.

Dear MoveOn member,

On Thursday, MoveOn members across the country delivered petitions to congressional offices that sent a clear message to our elected officials: "We won't support Social Security cuts, or any politician who votes for them."

The demonstrations were a continuation of the amazing work that MoveOn members have been doing for years to defend Social Security from benefit cuts.

Remember when President Bush tried to privatize the program in 2005? MoveOn members were there.

Remember the so-called "fiscal cliff" debacle this past December, when President Obama offered a Social Security-cutting deal to Republicans? MoveOn members were there, too.

And now, as President Obama is proposing Social Security cuts as part of his official budget proposal, MoveOn members are there again to push back hard.

To keep this momentum going, we're organizing a call at 9 p.m. ET this Monday (tomorrow) with U.S. Representative Keith Ellison, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. We'll talk about the next steps in the fight to protect Social Security.

Can you join the call with Congressman Ellison tomorrow night?

Yes, I can call in on Monday at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Here's just some of what we've accomplished recently:

• Former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich recorded an educational video and started a petition on MoveOn.org's petition website that got more than 330,000 signatures opposing the cuts.¹

• MoveOn members sent in moving pictures to a photo petition to the president—and we then used a big online ad buy and social media push to make sure that elected officials and their staff saw it.²

• We joined allies in front of the White House to deliver more than 2 million petition signatures, putting Democrats and Republicans on notice that MoveOn members—who'd worked long and hard to elect President Obama—would hold lawmakers who vote for these cuts accountable.³


• And this week, MoveOn members took action in our neighborhoods to deliver petitions to nearly 100 members of Congress at their home offices. Our demonstrations attracted national and local media attention from NPR to The Huffington Post and prompted several members of Congress to announce their opposition to the cuts.⁴

The people-powered movement to stop cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits has been remarkable. Working with our allies, MoveOn members are making incredible progress.

But we can't let up for a moment. Although 87 percent of Americans oppose Social Security cuts for current retirees to balance the budget, billionaires—and Washington insiders—continue pushing for these deeply unpopular cuts.⁵

So now's a great day to take a breath, and celebrate the progress we've made together. But then, we need to get ready to take action in the coming weeks and months, starting this Monday!

Join the call on Monday at 9 p.m. ET to get a political update from Congressman Ellison, hear from fellow MoveOn leaders who've been leading in this fight, and plot MoveOn's next steps together.

Click here to RSVP and get your personal call-in code.

Thanks for all you do.

–Ilya, Manny, Mark, Lenore, and the rest of the team

P.S. To see pictures from Thursday's petition deliveries, click here.

Sources:

1. "Robert Reich on why you shouldn't accept Chained CPI from Obama or anybody," MoveOn.org
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=289557&id=66783-10220574-eeX1Drx&t=7

"Please do not cut Social Security," petition by Robert Reich, SignOn.org
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=288686&id=66783-10220574-eeX1Drx&t=8

2. "Obama: Don't Cut Social Security" Photo Petition, Tumblr
http://savesocialsecurity.tumblr.com/

"President Obama brushes back his activist left," Time, April 8, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=289559&id=66783-10220574-eeX1Drx&t=9

3. "Bernie Sanders, MoveOn, AFL-CIO, Social Security Works, & a million more say 'No Cuts!'"
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=289571&id=66783-10220574-eeX1Drx&t=10

"President Obama's risky 'goodwill' gambit," Politico, April 10, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=289558&id=66783-10220574-eeX1Drx&t=11

4. "Dems, GOP Talk Up Deficit Reduction, But Don't Act," NPR, April 25, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=289541&id=66783-10220574-eeX1Drx&t=12

"Nancy Pelosi Social Security protest in San Francisco urges Minority Leader not to cut entitlements," Huff Post San Francisco, April 26, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=289542&id=66783-10220574-eeX1Drx&t=13

5. "Chained CPI Loathed By Seniors: AARP Poll," The Huffington Post, April 5, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=289427&id=66783-10220574-eeX1Drx&t=14

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