Serving Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District since 1981, Hal Rogers has been elected to 21 consecutive terms representing the people of southern and eastern Kentucky. On September 2, 2021, he made history as the longest-serving Member of Congress from Kentucky. On March 18, 2022, he became Dean of the U.S. House of Representatives, as the longest-serving Member in the House. His longevity of service is proof that Congressman Rogers focuses on economic development, job creation, fighting illegal drug use, preserving the natural treasures of Appalachia, avidly listening to his constituents, advocating for the interests of the region where he was raised.
Social Security is a critical piece of the retirement security safety net for seniors, especially for those with limited incomes. I believe Congress has an important responsibility to protect and preserve this critical program. Millions of hard-working families depend on this lifeline to help them through their retirement years. In fact, in 2019 approximately 63 million Americans received these benefits. You can therefore count on me to keep fighting to protect Social Security, as well as other programs that are important to our senior citizens.
Many people believe the money they pay into Social Security throughout their working years is set aside, and then paid back to them upon retirement. This is not actually the case. In reality, the program is a pay-as-you-go system with today’s workers paying to support today’s retirees. But each year, there are more retirees taking money out, and not enough additional workers to support them. It is becoming increasingly apparent this approach is simply unsustainable.
Without action to protect Social Security, the trust fund is projected to be exhausted in 2034. Once the trust fund reserves are depleted, projections show that tax revenues will only cover a small percentage of scheduled benefits. While Social Security is sound for today’s seniors and for those nearing retirement, Congress must take action to ensure the program remains solvent for generations to come. I have been proud to cosponsor such efforts as the Social Security Fairness Act, which seeks to protect social security benefits that retirees have been expecting their earned benefits. As we deal with this issue in the House of Representatives, know that I am committed to keeping this program strong for future beneficiaries and will oppose any changes that jeopardize the benefits our seniors receive today.
To submit a request for assistance regarding your Social Security benefits, please complete a privacy release form and send it to my District Office in Somerset, Kentucky.