REMOVING BARRIERS TO WORK FOR DISABLED AMERICANS ACT

On 2026-07-23, Representative Jason Smith (R-MO-8) delivered a floor speech titled "REMOVING BARRIERS TO WORK FOR DISABLED AMERICANS ACT" in the House.

REMOVING BARRIERS TO WORK FOR DISABLED AMERICANS ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 121 (Thursday, July 23, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 121 (Thursday, July 23, 2026)] [House] [Pages H5182-H5186] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] REMOVING BARRIERS TO WORK FOR DISABLED AMERICANS ACT Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1438, I call up the bill (H.R. 8884) to amend title II of the Social Security Act to reauthorize demonstration authority for the disability insurance program, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1438, in lieu of the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Ways and Means, printed in the bill, an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print at 119-34 is adopted and the bill, as amended, is considered read. The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows: H.R. 8884 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act''. SEC. 2. TEMPORARY REAUTHORIZATION OF DISABILITY INSURANCE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT AUTHORITY. (a) Termination Date.--Section 234(d)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 434(d)(2)) is amended by striking ``December 31, 2021, and the authority to carry out such projects shall terminate on December 31, 2022'' and inserting ``December 31, 2030, and the authority to carry out such projects shall terminate on December 31, 2031''. (b) Authority to Waive Compliance With Benefits Requirements.--Section 234(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 434(c)) is amended-- (1) by striking ``December 30, 2021'' and inserting ``December 31, 2030''; (2) by striking ``90 days'' and inserting ``120 days''; and (3) by inserting after ``the expected annual and total costs,'' the following: ``evaluation metrics to be used with respect to the experiment or demonstration project,''. [[Page H5183]] (c) Expenditure.--Section 201(k) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 401(k)) is amended to read as follows: ``(k) Administrative expenditures for experiments and demonstration projects under section 234 shall be paid from funds made available for the administration of this title. Benefits payable to or on behalf of individuals by reason of participation in experiments and demonstration projects under section 234 shall be made from the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund or the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, as determined appropriate by the Commissioner of Social Security.''. (d) Limitation.--Section 234(e) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 434(e)) is amended-- (1) in paragraph (2), by striking the ``and'' at the end; (2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and (3) by adding at the end the following: ``(4) that the total income of an individual will not be reduced due to the individual's participation in an experiment or demonstration project.''. (e) Technical Amendments.--Section 234 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 434) is further amended-- (1) in subsection (d)(1), by striking ``subsection'' and inserting ``section''; and (2) by striking subsection (f). (f) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take effect on January 1, 2027. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill, as amended, shall be debatable for 1 hour, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means, or their respective designees. The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Smith), and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu) each will control 30 minutes. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Missouri. General Leave Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill under consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Missouri? There was no objection. Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 8884, the Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act, introduced by our colleague from Georgia, Representative Austin Scott. Many Americans that are living with disabilities want to enter the workforce and seek gainful employment. In fact, an estimated 60 percent of Americans who receive benefits under the Social Security Disability Insurance program have stated a desire to return to work. Yet less than 1 percent leave the disability insurance program each year for a job. That is a gigantic gap between the number of disabled Americans who want to work and the number who successfully return to work. The Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act seeks to shrink that gap by simply restoring the Social Security Administration's authority to test drive solutions that can empower more of our fellow Americans to get back to work. Up until 2022, the SSA had such authority to run demonstration projects on improving work outcomes. With that authority expired and with so many disabled Americans still unable to successfully navigate the current program, we have to find a better way forward. In fact, some of the challenges cited for why so few SSDI beneficiaries successfully return to the workforce are confusing rules of the road for eligibility, that and a fear of overpayments and benefit cliffs. Just so we do not forget why we should be focused on this issue, at a hearing of the Ways and Means Social Security and Work and Welfare Subcommittees in September, we heard from a witness, a former beneficiary, about how the work he found helped give his life real purpose and a different outlook. He was talking about the dignity of work, and that is what this bill will help deliver. Representative Scott has been a long-time--and I would say long-time, tireless champion for Purple Heart veterans. Many of them wish to return to work but cannot afford the severe restrictions placed on their work status. I commend Mr. Scott for expanding his bill to allow the SSA's demonstration authority for so many impacted individuals, including blind Americans. He has identified a commonsense solution and is fighting to see it come to pass, just as it did through the Ways and Means Committee with bipartisan support. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, at a time when Americans are dealing with skyrocketing prices and vulnerable populations like seniors and people with disabilities are struggling to get help with their Social Security benefits because this administration has created a customer service crisis through reckless staffing cuts, it is shameful that Republicans have chosen to bring H.R. 8884 to the floor. This bill won't lower costs, won't improve customer service, and won't make it easier for people with disabilities to access the benefits they have earned. Instead, it opens the door to cutting those benefits while making SSA's customer service crisis even worse. H.R. 8884, the Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act, aims to remove barriers to employment faced by individuals receiving Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, benefits. It tries to do this by authorizing the Social Security Administration to conduct demonstration projects designed to test program changes that may encourage work. Let me be clear that Democrats strongly support the goal of reducing unnecessary barriers for disabled Americans who want to explore returning to work. Over the years, Democrats many times have supported giving SSA this demonstration authority. However, the bill before us today tries to accomplish this worthwhile goal in the worst possible way. Instead of protecting beneficiaries, it hands the Trump administration broad new authority to experiment with Social Security disability benefits with virtually no meaningful guardrails. First, let me be clear about what Social Security disability benefits are for. SSDI supports some of the most vulnerable Americans who have severe and long-lasting medical impairments that prevent them from being able to work at a level needed to financially support themselves. SSDI is an earned benefit, with the average beneficiary having worked and paid into the system for 22 years before becoming disabled. It also has stringent eligibility criteria. To qualify, applicants must provide extensive medical evidence and undergo a rigorous eligibility determination process. Many applicants are initially denied and must appeal a process that often takes a year or more. Even after all levels of appeal, SSA typically finds only about one in three applicants eligible. SSDI benefits are extremely low, at an average of about $20,000 a year. {time} 0920 Most SSDI beneficiaries could not survive without these monthly payments, and that is why we must ensure that any potential change to the program does not put those benefits at risk. Yet, this bill explicitly leaves that possibility on the table. Rather than protecting earned disability benefits, it gives the administration broad discretion to test policies that could reduce them. This isn't some abstract policy debate. Here is what this could look like in the real world. Picture this: You have been on Social Security disability for the past 10 years after a devastating car accident rendered you unable to work and support yourself. Your monthly SSDI check isn't much, but it is the reason you can pay your bills and keep food on the table. Then, one day, the Social Security Administration contacts you about an opportunity that sounds promising--a demonstration program that will make it easier for you to get a part-time job wh

Referenced legislation: HRES1438, HRES1438, HR8884