WHEREAS, President Obama’s budget request to Congress calls for maintaining the Social Security and Medicare programs in their present forms; and
WHEREAS, the Congressional Budget Office has stated that the federal deficit will begin to increase starting in 2018; and
WHEREAS, the current Congressional leadership commonly uses the federal budget deficit as an excuse to try to reduce Social Security and Medicare benefits; and
WHEREAS, this year happens to mark the 80th year since the start of Social Security in 1935 and the 50th year since the launch of Medicare in 1965, anniversaries that serve as reminders of the longevity and achievements of these critical programs; therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the United Federation of Teachers joins with the American Federation of Teachers in calling attention to the current threat to the hugely successful and important Social Security and Medicare programs and stands ready to fight any attempt by the current majority leadership of the House and Senate to reduce these important benefits.