America deserves a raise.

		For decades, politicians in Washington have left American workers behind. Income inequality has been growing, leaving the vast majority of Americans scraping by while the richest keep getting richer. Not only does this make saving for retirement harder—it does real damage to the Social Security trust fund. With too many in Washington favoring policies which benefit the 1%, we need champions who aren’t afraid to take on Wall Street and Big Business. Champions like Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA) who introduced the Raise the Wage Act. If enacted, this bill would benefit 37.7 million workers—and the businesses that serve them—by gradually raising the minimum wage to $12 by 2020. And that’s not all! The Raise the Wage Act establishes automatic increases in the minimum wage starting in 2021, which means that workers will receive annual raises without the need for future congressional action. Join us in calling on Congress to pass the Raise the Wage Act to give American workers a long overdue raise! At a time when corporations are reaping record breaking profits, it’s time for Congress to advance policies that boost Americans’ wages and ensure our prosperity is broadly shared. Join Social Security Works and the Economic Policy Institute in calling on Congress to pass the Raise the Wage Act and strengthen our economy. The truth is, a strong Social Security system depends on wage growth. Today, 15% of seniors still live in poverty. And a Social Security benefit check for a lifetime minimum wage worker who retires at age 62 is just $686 per month or $916 per month if they retire at age 66. Any way you cut it, this retirement income is below the poverty level. For the sake of millions of workers and the future of Social Security, call on Congress to raise Americans’ pay. You and I know that all it really takes to extend the life of Social Security is to ask the wealthy to start paying their fair share of taxes. Raising wages wouldn’t replace that goal—but it would undoubtedly be a good start. Thank you for your continued support and for all that you do to strengthen Social Security for current and future generations. Michael Phelan Social Security Works