Lois Capps: “I speak from a public health perspective as someone who is engaged with families in our communities on public health and…”

“I speak from a public health perspective as someone who is engaged with families in our communities on public health and the devastating effect that privatizing Social Security would have on the majority of its women, recipients who are women. As has been mentioned already, but I do not think we can say it often enough, women on average earn 77 cents to the dollar, to every dollar that a man makes. Yet, they live longer and rely more heavily. This is a demonstrated fact that women rely more heavily on Social Security to support them in their later years. Women are more likely to interrupt their careers to stay at home to care for children, therefore are significantly less likely than men to receive a pension. And for those women who do receive a pension, their benefits are about one-half of the benefit that men receive. Fortunately, Social Security is more than just a retirement program. It is a social insurance program structured to help women such as those Ms.…”