Today in Supreme Court History: August 14, 1935

8/14/1935: President Roosevelt signs into law the Social Security Act of 1935. The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of this law in Helvering v. Davis (1937).

President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Comments

[Dan Schiavetta]

One of the best and greatest things this country ever did. Though to be fair other countries did it first and still do it better.

[Krayt]

Though to be fair other countries did it first and still do it better.

You mean those in power expand their power into new areas at their whim via chin-rubbing rationalizations, rather than by clear and deliberate and intentional supermajority concensus of the sovereign people?

Well, you are not wrong.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

That opinion puts you with former Justice "Pussywillow" McReynolds . . . and few others.

[Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf]

You don't realize it, but calling this "best ever done" is damning with faint praise.

It was sold as doing what it did not do.
It pretends to be half paid for by an employer tax.
Its pay reduction hurt all working people when they could least afford it.
Its payout was delayed and not publicized.
Its regressive and hurts the poor more than the rich.
It benefits the rich, who live longer, more than the poor.
It is a piss poor return on "investment".

In short, it's a typical government program, designed by committee, executed poorly, and would be a criminal enterprise if not protected by being a government program.

And that's not even getting to taxation being theft.

So, yes, kudos to the government for a job only 99% inept instead of the usual 110%; and kudos to you for recognizing it, even if your recognition is as inept and inadvertent as whatever success you attribute to Social Security.

[DWB]

Talk about days that will live in infamy!!

[Mark Regan]

Actually, probably the more important case upholding the Social Security Act was Steward Machine v. Davis, 301 U.S. 548 (1937), issued the same day as Helvering v. Davis. Steward Machine upheld the Social Security Act's unemployment compensation provisions and serves as authority for all kinds of cooperative-federalism programs, including Medicaid.