CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Joint Resolution No. 8Introduced by Assembly Member SchiavoMarch 27, 2025 Relative to public social services. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTAJR 8, as introduced, Schiavo. Public social services: Social Security.This measure would call on the states Representatives in Congress to vote against cuts to, and proposals to privatize, Social Security, and to prevent service delays and the closure of offices, and would call on the President of the United States to veto any legislation attempting to cut or privatize this program.Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO Bill TextWHEREAS, Social Security is the foundation of the income and health security of older Americans, younger Americans with permanent and severe disabilities, American families that have lost a breadwinner, and those whose economic circumstances preclude them from purchasing health insurance in the private market; andWHEREAS, Social Security is our nations most important source of retirement income, disability insurance, and life insurance; andWHEREAS, Our Social Security program is self-funded and does not rely on the federal governments general fund for its operations; andWHEREAS, Social Security trust funds are funded by payroll tax contributions, paying out benefits and investing surpluses in special government securities that can be redeemed at face value to meet fund obligations; andWHEREAS, Social Security contributions are invested in interest-bearing debt securities that are issued and guaranteed by the federal government; andWHEREAS, Social Security is the foundation of income and health security for older Californians and those with severe work disabilities, providing monthly cash benefits and health insurance to over 6,000,000 Californians; andWHEREAS, Social Security is the single most important source of life insurance for Californias children, which currently provides a virtually guaranteed income to over 300,000 children throughout our state; andWHEREAS, Social Security prevents more than 1,400,000 Californians 65 years of age and older from living in poverty and lessens the depth of poverty for millions more; andWHEREAS, Social Security benefits annually contribute over $100 billion to our states economy; andWHEREAS, Social Security provides benefits to nearly 8,000,000 veterans nationwide; andWHEREAS, Even with Social Securitys benefits, over 10 percent of beneficiaries are still below the poverty line; andWHEREAS, Improving Social Security benefits is essential to alleviating poverty, which endangers seniors more than any other age group; andWHEREAS, Social Securitys funding is independent of that of the rest of the federal government, and does not, and by law cannot, contribute to the federal deficit; andWHEREAS, Social Security had a surplus of $2.8 trillion at the end of 2023; andWHEREAS, Social Security has sufficient resources to meet all of its obligations through 2033 and has dedicated revenues that would meet more than 80 percent of promised benefits thereafter; andWHEREAS, Our Social Security system is fundamental to protecting against risks to which all Californians are subject; andWHEREAS, Recent actions by the federal government will lead to delays in services and the closures and consolidations of Social Security offices; and WHEREAS, Our Social Security system gives expression to widely held values, including caring for our families, our neighbors, and ourselves, personal responsibility, hard work, and personal dignity; now, therefore, be itResolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature opposes cuts to Social Security, as well as proposals to indirectly cut this program by defunding it, while giving tax breaks to multinational corporations and billionaires, and calls on our states Representatives in Congress to vote against cuts and proposals to privatize Social Security, to prevent service delays and the closure of offices that would cause those receiving benefits to travel further to receive those same benefits, and to support legislation to protect and improve this system to strengthen its protections; and be it furtherResolved, That the Legislature calls on the President of the United States to honor his campaign promise not to cut Social Security, not to defund it, to veto any legislation attempting to do so, and to work with Congress to protect and improve this program; and be it furtherResolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States.
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Joint Resolution No. 8Introduced by Assembly Member SchiavoMarch 27, 2025 Relative to public social services. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTAJR 8, as introduced, Schiavo. Public social services: Social Security.This measure would call on the states Representatives in Congress to vote against cuts to, and proposals to privatize, Social Security, and to prevent service delays and the closure of offices, and would call on the President of the United States to veto any legislation attempting to cut or privatize this program.Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Joint Resolution
No. 8
Introduced by Assembly Member SchiavoMarch 27, 2025
Introduced by Assembly Member Schiavo
March 27, 2025
Relative to public social services.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AJR 8, as introduced, Schiavo. Public social services: Social Security.
This measure would call on the states Representatives in Congress to vote against cuts to, and proposals to privatize, Social Security, and to prevent service delays and the closure of offices, and would call on the President of the United States to veto any legislation attempting to cut or privatize this program.
This measure would call on the states Representatives in Congress to vote against cuts to, and proposals to privatize, Social Security, and to prevent service delays and the closure of offices, and would call on the President of the United States to veto any legislation attempting to cut or privatize this program.
## Digest Key
## Bill Text
WHEREAS, Social Security is the foundation of the income and health security of older Americans, younger Americans with permanent and severe disabilities, American families that have lost a breadwinner, and those whose economic circumstances preclude them from purchasing health insurance in the private market; and
WHEREAS, Social Security is our nations most important source of retirement income, disability insurance, and life insurance; and
WHEREAS, Our Social Security program is self-funded and does not rely on the federal governments general fund for its operations; and
WHEREAS, Social Security trust funds are funded by payroll tax contributions, paying out benefits and investing surpluses in special government securities that can be redeemed at face value to meet fund obligations; and
WHEREAS, Social Security contributions are invested in interest-bearing debt securities that are issued and guaranteed by the federal government; and
WHEREAS, Social Security is the foundation of income and health security for older Californians and those with severe work disabilities, providing monthly cash benefits and health insurance to over 6,000,000 Californians; and
WHEREAS, Social Security is the single most important source of life insurance for Californias children, which currently provides a virtually guaranteed income to over 300,000 children throughout our state; and
WHEREAS, Social Security prevents more than 1,400,000 Californians 65 years of age and older from living in poverty and lessens the depth of poverty for millions more; and
WHEREAS, Social Security benefits annually contribute over $100 billion to our states economy; and
WHEREAS, Social Security provides benefits to nearly 8,000,000 veterans nationwide; and
WHEREAS, Even with Social Securitys benefits, over 10 percent of beneficiaries are still below the poverty line; and
WHEREAS, Improving Social Security benefits is essential to alleviating poverty, which endangers seniors more than any other age group; and
WHEREAS, Social Securitys funding is independent of that of the rest of the federal government, and does not, and by law cannot, contribute to the federal deficit; and
WHEREAS, Social Security had a surplus of $2.8 trillion at the end of 2023; and
WHEREAS, Social Security has sufficient resources to meet all of its obligations through 2033 and has dedicated revenues that would meet more than 80 percent of promised benefits thereafter; and
WHEREAS, Our Social Security system is fundamental to protecting against risks to which all Californians are subject; and
WHEREAS, Recent actions by the federal government will lead to delays in services and the closures and consolidations of Social Security offices; and
WHEREAS, Our Social Security system gives expression to widely held values, including caring for our families, our neighbors, and ourselves, personal responsibility, hard work, and personal dignity; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature opposes cuts to Social Security, as well as proposals to indirectly cut this program by defunding it, while giving tax breaks to multinational corporations and billionaires, and calls on our states Representatives in Congress to vote against cuts and proposals to privatize Social Security, to prevent service delays and the closure of offices that would cause those receiving benefits to travel further to receive those same benefits, and to support legislation to protect and improve this system to strengthen its protections; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature calls on the President of the United States to honor his campaign promise not to cut Social Security, not to defund it, to veto any legislation attempting to do so, and to work with Congress to protect and improve this program; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States.