Retiree News | May 2025

By one vote, the House of Representatives passed a bill on May 22 that guts Medicaid, the Pell Grant program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; cuts Medicare; makes college less affordable; and uses public education funding as a piggy bank to create a school voucher program. And why? To give tax cuts to billionaires. Economists say this would be the largest transfer of wealth from the poor and working class to the wealthy in our history. Several more steps remain before this bill becomes law, so we need to keep up the pressure. That starts with letting every representative know that we are watching. Send a letter to your representative today—either thanking them for voting against the bill or urging them to do better. Read AFT President Randi Weingarten’s latest column, in which she calls this bill “a betrayal of the American people that must not be passed into law.”  

 

Lawmakers, union leaders, retirees and activists gathered outside the U.S. Capitol on May 5 to oppose President Donald Trump’s controversial nominee, billionaire Frank Bisignano, for commissioner of the Social Security Administration The protest came ahead of a Senate vote on the nomination, which critics say could pose a serious threat to the future of the Social Security program.  

 

Sue Clements, a retired nurse with decades of experience, sounds the alarm on threats to Medicaid and Social Security—lifelines for millions of Americans. She’s seen firsthand how Medicaid saves lives; in her AFT Voices post, she warns that gutting it will not only harm the vulnerable but also cripple the healthcare system and cost countless jobs. At the same time, proposed cuts to Social Security jeopardize the futures of retirees like her, her 95-year-old mother, and others who depend on it. Clements urges Americans to protect these essential programs—and our democracy.

 

Democracy is under siege at home and abroad—but history shows that authoritarianism can be stopped, and democracy can be rebuilt through courageous, strategic movements and the actions of everyday people. In this webinar, AFT President Randi Weingarten moderated a discussion with leaders of resistance and people-powered movements. The discussion focused on how we work together to turn the tide through education, organized labor and strategic coalition-building.  

 

A coalition of pro-democracy partner organizations, including the AFT, has announced plans for No Kings Day on June 14. It is a national day of action and mass mobilization in response to increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption from President Donald Trump and his allies. The actions are set to take place during the Trump administration’s June 14 military parade in Washington, D.C. Join activists across the country for marches, rallies and demonstrations to reject corrupt, authoritarian politics in the United States. Find an event near you.