To the editor:

A trip to the grocery store or a monthly utility bill shows how quickly everyday expenses can add up.  

The newly announced 3.6% Social Security cost of living adjustment (COLA) will provide some relief beginning in January 2027. Every additional dollar matters. But that adjustment won’t be enough to erase the difficult choices many older Americans face as groceries, housing and health care stretch their budgets.                  

As an AARP Rhode Island volunteer, I want our members of Congress to keep those everyday pressures in mind. Americans paid into Social Security through years of work. They earned their monthly checks and deserve to have their purchasing power protected.  

Yet some in Washington are pushing proposals to reduce the annual COLA. When people are already struggling to keep up, cutting their protection against rising prices makes no sense.  

Congress must protect and strengthen Social Security for people receiving payments today and for younger generations paying into it now.  

I’m proud to stand with AARP in this fight. Our members of Congress should stand with us. Cast your vote for candidates who will protect Social Security in this critical election.

Sandra Darling, AARP Advocacy Volunteer
Bristol