Some key members of Congress want to raise the retirement age to boost the Bush administration’s flagging efforts to overhaul Social Security. No one wants to be forced to work longer to collect the benefits we’ve earned—but for workers in physically demanding jobs, increasing the retirement age would be devastating.

Your members of Congress need to hear from you now. Use the message below to urge them not to raise the retirement age or to cut benefits to pay for risky privatized Social Security accounts.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

The Associated Press recently reported: "Key Senate Republicans are considering gradually raising the Social Security retirement age as high as 69 over several years as they struggle to jump-start legislation that President Bush has placed atop his second-term agenda..."

I urge you to reject any attempts to raise the retirement age, which already is scheduled to increase to 67. That's long enough! Forcing workers to stay on the job even longer to collect the benefits they've spent years paying for would be cruel and unnecessary.

I'm especially concerned about workers in physically demanding jobs whose bodies wear out before 69. Please don't allow these workers--or any of us--to be punished by raising the retirement age.

I also strongly urge you to reject any proposals that would cut Social Security benefits or otherwise hurt workers to finance risky privatized Social Security accounts.

We can strengthen Social Security without destroying it, raising the retirement age or slashing benefits. Please do so.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
July 05, 2005