Nurses advocate for fair taxation, Social Security protection in Tampa

Debate Over Social Security Intensifies as Nurses and Allies Push for Reform

In response to recent legislative changes, nurses from the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU) are organizing a town hall in Tampa, Florida, on August 28. The focus will be on safeguarding Social Security and advocating for the Social Security Expansion Act, which aims to ensure secure retirements for all citizens.

The Social Security Administration's chief actuary has indicated that a recent reconciliation bill passed during President Trump's administration could hasten the depletion of the Social Security fund to 2032. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget warns this could result in an estimated 24 percent benefit reduction for recipients. According to the Urban Institute, such cuts could push 3.8 million more seniors into poverty by 2045.

Mary Turner, president of NNU, expressed concern: “We have witnessed the passage of one of the ugliest pieces of legislation in the nation’s history that takes from the poorest and gives to the richest. As a nurse, I see firsthand the devastating effects of poverty. I have seen seniors forced to choose between rent, food, or medications. This is not only spiritually crushing, but it’s also dangerous and a great injustice to those who have worked their entire lives and paid into Social Security. It is long past time that millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share in taxes, so that working people can retire with stability and dignity.”

Event Details:

When: Thursday, Aug. 28, 6 to 8 p.m.

Where: Carrollwood Cultural Center, 4537 Lowell Road, Tampa, Fla.

Supporters of the town hall include various organizations such as Third Act Florida, Florida AFL-CIO, and the Tampa Democratic Socialists of America, among others. The event will be accessible via livestream on the National Nurses United's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nationalnurses/live_videos.

Nurses criticized Florida's congressional representatives, including Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, and Rep. Laurel Lee, for backing a bill that provided $1.9 trillion in tax cuts to wealthy individuals and corporations.

As reported by the Social Security Administration in April 2025, approximately 74 million Americans receive Social Security benefits, with retirees and their survivors being the largest beneficiaries. In 2022, 63 percent of adult recipients relied on Social Security for at least half of their income, and for 16 million, it was their sole income source. In Florida, 37 percent of households depend on these benefits.

Nurses argue that cuts to Social Security staffing under the Trump administration have made it more challenging for seniors and individuals with disabilities to access their benefits. Additionally, comments from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about potentially privatizing Social Security have raised further alarm.

Supporting the Social Security Expansion Act, introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Val Hoyle, nurses advocate for increasing benefits by $2,400 annually per recipient. This legislation would require wealthier individuals to contribute taxes on their business and investment incomes, similar to current payroll tax contributions, ensuring the program's longevity for 75 years. “Nurses and our allies refuse to stand by and watch our hard-earned Social Security be dismantled by billionaires who want to enrich themselves through privatization,” said Marissa Lee, a nurse at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital. “Instead, we are calling for the expansion of Social Security, so that everyone in the United States receives the benefits they earned and deserve.”