AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Janet Mills signed a proclamation Friday recognizing the 90th anniversary of Social Security in Maine.

The Social Security Act was signed into law in 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt after Labor Secretary Frances Perkins brought the idea forward. Perkins’ family homestead in Newcastle was named a national monument last year.

During her remarks, Mills quoted Perkins, saying: “Social Security... 'is so firmly embedded in the American psychology today that no politician, no political party, no political group, could possibly destroy this act and still maintain our democratic system. It is safe, it is safe forever, and for the everlasting benefit of the people of the United States.'”

Nearly 375,000 Mainers rely on Social Security for essentials such as housing,

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