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Andre Chasse is a Bangor resident who currently serves as the volunteer state president for AARP Maine. He is a human resources professional who specializes in benefit and retirement plans.
As the volunteer state president for AARP Maine, I spend a great deal of time talking with older Mainers about the issues that matter most to them. Time and again, one issue rises above the rest: Social Security.
I understand why. At 63 years old, I have been paying into Social Security for more than 40 years. Like millions of Americans, I’ve contributed to the program throughout my working life with the expectation that the payments I’ve earned will be there when I need them.
Social Security is not a handout. It is a promise made to workers who have spent decades contributing to our nation’s economy.
That is why Congress must act to strengthen Social Security and ensure that all workers receive the dollars we have earned. But Congress must do so in a way that is transparent, accountable, and open to public scrutiny.
AARP has voiced strong opposition to the recently introduced PROMISE Act because it would move Social Security reform away from the traditional legislative process and place extraordinary authority in the hands of an unelected board. Under the proposal, the Social Security Advisory Board would draft legislation intended to address the program’s long-term finances, and Congress would then consider that proposal under expedited procedures that limit debate and amendments.
AARP agrees that lawmakers need to address Social Security’s long-term challenges. Ignoring the issue is not an option. However, AARP believes that decisions affecting the retirement security of millions of Americans should be debated openly in Congress, not developed behind closed doors and rushed through under special procedural rules. As AARP Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer Nancy LeaMond has said, Social Security should be strengthened through “regular order, in full public view, with openness and transparency.”
Here in Maine, the stakes could not be higher.
According to AARP, more than 370,000 Mainers receive Social Security. That’s more than one in four residents of our state. Social Security payments generate more than $5.7 billion annually for Maine’s economy, supporting local businesses, jobs, and communities across the state.
For many Mainers, Social Security helps pay their mortgages, purchase groceries, cover utility bills, and afford prescription medications. For many, it is the difference between financial security and hardship.
Any changes to Social Security deserve the fullest possible public discussion because the consequences affect not only beneficiaries but entire communities.
Mainers value honesty and accountability. We expect our elected representatives to debate important issues in the open and stand behind their decisions. I echo AARP’s concern that the PROMISE Act’s expedited process would limit the public’s ability to understand, evaluate, and weigh in on proposals that could affect the money Americans have spent their entire careers earning.
As someone who has paid into Social Security for four decades, I believe Congress has both the responsibility and the ability to address the program’s future. But the solution cannot come from a process that limits debate or reduces transparency. The future of Social Security is too important for shortcuts.
Congress needs to act. It should strengthen Social Security for future generations. And it should do so through an open, public process that honors the workers who earned these payments and the promise Social Security represents.
For the more than 370,000 Mainers who rely on Social Security today, and for the generations who are counting on it tomorrow, nothing less will do.