President Biden recognizes Lubbock teen who walked to raise awareness about Social Security

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - President Biden signed new Social Security benefits into law on Sunday and thanked a Lubbock teenager for his efforts to raise awareness.

The Social Security Fairness Act boosts benefits for more than two million retired public workers.

The legislation expands benefits for those who were previously denied or had reduced Social Security checks, because they or their spouses were entitled to public pensions.

We first covered this story back in July, when 17-year-old Eliseo Jimenez walked from Lubbock to Washington, D.C. to raise awareness about the limits of Social Security.

PREVIOUS STORY: Lubbock teen walks to D.C. to raise awareness about limits of Social Security

In the signing ceremony on Sunday, the president called Eliseo on stage and highlighted that walk and Eliseo’s cause.

“Eliseo is just around the corner from receiving Social Security benefits,” President Biden said. “This guy walked 1,600 miles from Texas to Washington D.C. to support this bill. And he did it for his grandmother, a retired teacher, who struggled to survive without her Social Security benefits that she earned, and he thought it wasn’t right.”

Eliseo began his journey in Lubbock on July 12 and made it more than 1,600 miles to D,C, by the week of Aug. 23.

You can see our previous story here.

Copyright 2025 KCBD. All rights reserved.