Whereas Social Security and Medicare have been the foundation of our Nation’s economic and health security, uplifting generations of Americans; Whereas nearly all Americans pay into Social Security and Medicare throughout a lifetime of work, earning retirement insurance, disability insurance, life insurance, and health insurance that ensure the right to benefits when needed; Whereas, today, more than 66,000,000 seniors, people with disabilities, and children rely on Social Security to meet their basic needs and live in dignity; Whereas Social Security protects workers and their families by providing benefits to their children and spouses who depend on them when they retire, experience a career-ending disability, or die; Whereas Social Security benefits are guaranteed to be paid for life and are fully protected against inflation through automatic cost-of-living adjustments; Whereas Social Security is particularly important to people of color and women who are less likely to have pensions or other savings to help protect against financial insecurity; Whereas more than 8,000,000 veterans receive Social Security, and 6,500,000 children depend on Social Security because their parent has died, is disabled, or they live in a household that receives income from Social Security; Whereas, today, more than 63,000,000 seniors and people with disabilities rely on Medicare for guaranteed health care benefits; Whereas Medicare provides access to needed health care, including primary and specialty care, postacute care, preventative services, and prescription drugs; Whereas Medicare paved the way to improve health equity by requiring desegregation as a condition for hospital participation and continues to focus on delivering equitable care today; Whereas Medicare is often the only source of health care for nearly all seniors, and before Medicare, nearly half of older Americans had no health insurance, and today, the population has dropped to just 2 percent