Floor SpeechNeutral2025-03-04

SOCIAL SECURITY IS THE NUMBER ONE ANTIPOVERTY PROGRAM IN UNITED STATES

TaxesTradeEducationHousingSocial Security

Context

On 2025-03-04, Representative John B. Larson (D-CT-1) delivered a floor speech titled "SOCIAL SECURITY IS THE NUMBER ONE ANTIPOVERTY PROGRAM IN UNITED STATES" in the House. The speech addressed taxes and also covered trade policy, education.

Full Text

SOCIAL SECURITY IS THE NUMBER ONE ANTIPOVERTY PROGRAM IN UNITED STATES

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 41 (Tuesday, March 4, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 4, 2025)] [House] [Page H953] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SOCIAL SECURITY IS THE NUMBER ONE ANTIPOVERTY PROGRAM IN UNITED STATES The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) for 5 minutes. Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak and address the Chamber about the Nation's number one antipoverty program for the elderly and the Nation's number one antipoverty program for children. I speak, of course, of Social Security. Social Security is currently under attack by the Trump administration with just this weekend, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Trump calling Social Security a scam and Mr. Musk calling Social Security a Ponzi scheme. Now, Mr. Speaker, I am sure as you know in your district, you have 209,000 Social Security recipients: 157,000 are retirees; 25,000 plus are disabled workers; 10,000 are widows; 3,678 are spouses; and over 12,000 are children. I don't believe that you think that Social Security and the checks that these people receive is a scam or that Social Security is a Ponzi scheme. In fact, in your district, $377 million comes into your district monthly that goes to those individuals. Where do they spend that money? They spend that money right back in your district at the grocery store, at the pharmacy, at the dry cleaners, heating and cooling their homes, paying their rent, their mortgage, and putting gasoline in their car. The brilliance of Franklin Delano Roosevelt still lives on. This is capitalism's answer to have a safety net for people, who through no fault of their own or because they work and ultimately end up retiring, have benefits that they can live on. It is especially more important as people are living longer. They need these benefits that are currently under siege by an administration who has asked Elon Musk to find $2 trillion in cuts. Where is he looking? He is looking right at your district, Mr. Speaker, and my district, and the 435 congressional districts, who, on average, receive $200 million monthly from Social Security where, on average, the more than 145,000 people per district that receive these benefits go directly back to the local economy. We are looking for three Republicans to stand with a unified Democratic Party and Congress to push forward a bill that was last extended in 1971. Richard Nixon was President of the United States the last time Social Security benefits were extended for your constituents as well as my constituents in Connecticut. It is long overdue. We have a COLA that doesn't work. We have people that continue to work after they receive Social Security that are taxed on their benefits. We have had teachers and firefighters and police officers, as well, who have been denied benefits. Now, while they are eligible for them, they are not funded and so that money comes out of the trust fund. President Trump has now proposed a tax cut for Social Security that is unpaid for. That is over a $900 billion hit to Social Security and all the constituents who receive it. Mr. Speaker, I know you to be a man of goodwill and you understand your district and what your people need, as well. It is long overdue for the citizens of the United States to have their Social Security benefits enhanced, not cut. ____________________

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SOCIAL SECURITY IS THE NUMBER ONE ANTIPOVERTY PROGRAM IN UNITED STATES Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 41 (Tuesday, March 4, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 4, 2025)] [House] [Page H953] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SOCIAL SECURITY IS THE NUMBER ONE ANTIPOVERTY PROGRAM IN UNITED STATES The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) for 5 minutes. Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak and address the Chamber about the Nation's number one antipoverty program for the elderly and the Nation's number one antipoverty program for children. I speak, of course, of Social Security. Social Security is currently under attack by the Trump administration with just this weekend, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Trump calling Social Security a scam and Mr. Musk calling Social Security a Ponzi scheme. Now, Mr. Speaker, I am sure as you know in your district, you have 209,000 Social Security recipients: 157,000 are retirees; 25,000 plus are disabled workers; 10,000 are widows; 3,678 are spouses; and over 12,000 are children. I don't believe that you think that Social Security and the checks that these people receive is a scam or that Social Security is a Ponzi scheme. In fact, in your district, $377 million comes into your district monthly that goes to those individuals. Where do they spend that money? They spend that money right back in your district at the grocery store, at the pharmacy, at the dry cleaners, heating and cooling their homes, paying their rent, their mortgage, and putting gasoline in their car. The brilliance of Franklin Delano Roosevelt still lives on. This is capitalism's answer to have a safety net for people, who through no fault of their own or because they work and ultimately end up retiring, have benefits that they can live on. It is especially more important as people are living longer. They need these benefits that are currently under siege by an administration who has asked Elon Musk to find $2 trillion in cuts. Where is he looking? He is looking right at your district, Mr. Speaker, and my district, and the 435 congressional districts, who, on average, receive $200 million monthly from Social Security where, on average, the more than 145,000 people per district that receive these benefits go directly back to the local economy. We are looking for three Republicans to stand with a unified Democratic Party and Congress to push forward a bill that was last extended in 1971. Richard Nixon was President of the United States the last time Social Security benefits were extended for your constituents as well as my constituents in Connecticut. It is long overdue. We have a COLA that doesn't work. We have people that continue to work after they receive Social Security that are taxed on their benefits. We have had teachers and firefighters and police officers, as well, who have been denied benefits. Now, while they are eligible for them, they are not funded and so that money comes out of the trust fund. President Trump has now proposed a tax cut for Social Security that is unpaid for. That is over a $900 billion hit to Social Security and all the constituents who receive it. Mr. Speaker, I know you to be a man of goodwill and you understand your district and what your people need, as well. It is long overdue for the citizens of the United States to have their Social Security benefits enhanced, not cut. ____________________