GRANVILLE, Ohio — The Social Security Act will be 90 years old next year. This year’s national campaigns should focus on the opportunity this upcoming birthday provides to renew commitment to a landmark of American government and culture and to initiate comprehensive reform.
Like the term “social security” itself, the Social Security Act encompasses much more than benefits covered by its trust funds for pensions and Medicare. About 150 million Americans today receive benefits under various parts of the Social Security Act – more than the entire population when the legislation was first adopted in 1935. They include: