Statement by the President Commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the Signing of the Social Security Act.

THIRTY YEARS ago yesterday--August 14, 1935--President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Social Security Act--an act which was to bring a better life to many millions of Americans then living and to countless generations yet unborn.

For millions of Americans the enactment of this legislation meant the beginning of a new era of hope and confidence, and the end of an era of bleak and bitter despair.

We pause now to remember that moment of great social renewal and to honor the memory of the man whose moral and political leadership brought this act into being, and who committed the Nation to the proposition that the man or woman who had labored over a lifetime was entitled to the grace and dignity of self-support in old age.

This anniversary is one of deep significance in the history of this country. For the act that was created on that August day, 30 years ago, became the foundation of a great new social structure built by all the people of this country for the protection of all the people.

--Here was the beginning of the world's largest social insurance program which today pays out benefits to more than 20 million people--the aged, the disabled, the widowed, and orphaned.

--Here were the social insurance programs which now provide a base on which our people can build, through their initiative, thrift, and hard work, the elements of a good life.

--Here was the start of our nationwide unemployment insurance program--a partnership of Federal and State Governments to protect workers and their families during periods of temporary joblessness.

--Here were the first threads of today's broad network of State and local public welfare agencies which, with the help of Federal funds, serve the blind, the destitute, the aged, and especially the needy children of this land.

The 1935 law laid the foundation for all of these measures which are so vital to the strength of American society.

We are still building, still improving that great social structure that was started three decades ago.

Two weeks ago, in Independence, Mo., in the presence of President Harry Truman, another social pioneer, I signed the amendments that this Congress--the great 89th Congress--has fashioned for this law to help shield our elderly people from the economic burdens of illness and to update our social security programs in many other ways.

But we know, as President Roosevelt knew and said 30 years ago, that this structure is not yet complete. It will continue to grow as our needs grow--a living monument to the American ideal of health, prosperity, and happiness for all.

Some of these needs are clear to us today, and have been translated into national goals. Among these are:

--first, the assurance of a level of income for every citizen of this Nation who is too young or too old to work, or has become physically or mentally disabled, or who is unable to find work that is sufficient to assure health and decency.

--second, the rehabilitation for gainful employment of every disabled person for whom such rehabilitation is possible.

--third, opportunity for the pursuit of meaningful civic, cultural, and recreational activities in the retirement years.

These are immediate national goals for improved social well-being. We are working to fulfill them today. At the same time we know there will be other needs tomorrow.

This great, living law allows us to respond, as a Nation, to meet those needs. It is the instrument of a democratic society, engaged in a great and historic effort to secure the well-being and happiness of all of its people.