A group calling itself the Florida Alliance of Retired Americans met Wednesday to urge Republican Senator Marco Rubio to sign a pledge protecting Social Security funding. The rally was held in front of Rubio’s Jacksonville office on Prudential Drive.
Barbara DeVane, the Secretary of FLARA, said Rubio claims he would never do anything to hurt people who are on Social Security but “has a zero percent voting record for retirees.”
FLARA is in favor of doing away with the current cap of about $120,000 and increasing that cap to at least $250,000 of income which is eligible to be taxed, said DeVane.
DeVane said Rubio is in favor of cutting funding for Social Security, which would negatively affect those who currently receive Social Security benefits as well as those set to retire in the future.
Meredith O’Malley Johnson, a 34-year-old small business owner, was one of the key speakers at this rally. She supports the work of FLARA and said “Pensions are being closed everyday” and “Social Security has to be here for future generations.” O’Malley Johnson believes Social Security funding is a necessity because of student loan debts and the uncertainty of the job market.
Contact Kayla Davis at newsteam@wjct.org or on Twitter at @Kayla_Charisse