WASHINGTON - August 13 - Saturday, August 14th marks the 75th anniversary of President Franklin Roosevelt signing the Social Security Act into law.  Senator Russ Feingold released the following statement to commemorate the anniversary.

“After 75 years, Social Security continues to be one of the most successful programs in our nation’s history. On this anniversary, Wisconsin is especially proud since three of the men who helped to create the program – Arthur Altmeyer, Edwin Witte and Wilbur Cohen – hailed from Wisconsin and were trained at the University of Wisconsin.  Created when our nation faced devastating job losses and uncertainty, Social Security has given a measure of economic security to generations of American seniors.  Today, 50 million Americans benefit from this landmark program, and retired workers know they can rely on a basic benefit for which they have worked.

“Our country now finds itself in another time of great economic uncertainty. While we should take steps to further strengthen the program, the recently released annual Social Security Trustees report shows that Social Security will remain solvent for decades to come. Despite that report, there are still many who want to slash Social Security benefits, privatize the program and put at risk the security our seniors deserve. I will do everything I can to stop that from happening. Social Security is in many ways a Wisconsin Idea, and I will continue my work to ensure it serves Americans well for generations to come.”