O P I N I O N
THE SOAPBOX
Stand up. Speak up. It’s your turn.
Ninety years after becoming law, Social Security has become an essential and lifesaving program for millions of Americans — but if it were up to Donald Trump and Republican Senate candidates Scott Brown and Dan Innis, Social Security as we know it would be a program of the past, undermining how thousands of Granite Staters save and plan for their future.
After taking office, the Trump administration proposed closing the Littleton Social Security office, which serves the entire North Country and would force seniors and people with disabilities to travel over an hour to the nearest office in Concord. At the same time, Elon Musk and DOGE pursued firing federal Social Security workers, causing widespread confusion about how local offices would fill the gaps, and creating a real sense of fear that accessing these fundamental benefits would get much more complicated at best, and nearly impossible at worst.
But Scott Brown dismissed Granite Staters’ concerns, saying people “don’t want their Social Security,” and even going so far as to say, “They don’t care about that.”
To say that more than 334,100 people in New Hampshire don’t want Social Security and don’t care about the program is one of the more audacious comments Brown has made so far – and it was a glaring example of how he is willing to sell out Granite Staters to get Trump’s endorsement.
Brown also said he “proudly” supports Trump’s big, bad budget bill, which, according to Trump’s own Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, contains a “backdoor for privatizing Social Security.” Brown isn’t the only Republican who is putting Trump’s approval ahead of New Hampshire retirees. Dan Innis also supports the budget bill and has been a proponent of privatizing Social Security since he ran for Congress in 2014.
Scott Brown and Dan Innis appear to treat Social Security as an expendable program that they can use to get Trump’s attention. What they refuse to acknowledge is that, as one of the oldest and fastest aging states in America, Social Security plays a particularly critical role in the lives of Granite Staters.
More than 334,100 people in New Hampshire, or about one in five, rely on Social Security, the majority of whom are retired workers who have spent their lives paying into the program to have a sturdy foundation for retirement. Social Security also accounts for more than 50 percent of the family income for over 122,100 New Hampshire families, helping people afford groceries, medical bills, and housing.
Numbers alone can’t capture how important Social Security is for people in New Hampshire and across the country. Social Security helps people with disabilities to live independently and with dignity. It’s a financial foundation for families to stand on when they lose loved ones. It prevents seniors from experiencing homelessness and allows them to retire without fear of being left behind. And it helps everyone, regardless of who they are or where they come from, save for their retirement.
The benefits of Social Security are well-documented and evident in communities across New Hampshire. But Donald Trump continues to push Republicans to try every trick in the book to dismantle the program and gut the benefits our friends, neighbors, and family members depend on. All while Scott Brown and Dan Innis cheer him on.
The 90th anniversary of Social Security, which follows the 60th anniversary of Medicaid and Medicare, is a solemn reminder of just how much of our future is at stake in next year’s election.
It looks like Scott Brown and Dan Innis are willing to sell our hard-earned benefits to get Donald Trump’s endorsement, and Granite Staters cannot afford to have either of them in the U.S. Senate. If we want Social Security to be around for another 90 years, we have to elect leaders next November who are committed to protecting it.
Pat Long is a Manchester Alderman representing Ward 3 and a NH State Senator.
Beg to differ? Agree to disagree? Send submissions to publisher@inklink.news for consideration, subject line: The Soapbox – or DIY it yourself using this link.