Floor SpeechNeutral2025-03-05

CONGRESS HAS NOT ENHANCED SOCIAL SECURITY IN MORE THAN 50 YEARS

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Context

On 2025-03-05, Representative John B. Larson (D-CT-1) delivered a floor speech titled "CONGRESS HAS NOT ENHANCED SOCIAL SECURITY IN MORE THAN 50 YEARS" in the House.

Full Text

CONGRESS HAS NOT ENHANCED SOCIAL SECURITY IN MORE THAN 50 YEARS

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 42 (Wednesday, March 5, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 5, 2025)] [House] [Pages H982-H983] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CONGRESS HAS NOT ENHANCED SOCIAL SECURITY IN MORE THAN 50 YEARS (Mr. Larson of Connecticut was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the Nation's number one antipoverty program for the elderly and the number one antipoverty program for children. That is, of course, Social Security. Last night, in his state of the Union and over the weekend, the President and Elon Musk referred to Social Security as a scam and a Ponzi scheme. I don't believe the people who receive those benefits believe that Social Security is a scam. It is the Nation's number one antipoverty program for the elderly. Since its inception in 1935, it has never missed a payment. It is, for capitalism and entrepreneurialism, our safety net. Yet, Mr. Speaker, as you know, Congress has not acted on enhancing Social Security in more than 50 years. Richard Nixon was the President of the United States the last time Congress, whose responsibility it is, did anything to extend benefits. That includes a COLA that is out of place, as AARP indicates, as well as tax cuts for people who continue to have to work after they retire and then have their Social Security double taxed. It also applies for an across-the-board increase for all of our citizens who haven't seen that since 1971. Mr. Speaker, as you know, there are 10,000 baby boomers a day that become eligible for Social Security, and that is why it is so important. In your district in Illinois, Mr. Speaker, there are 173,000 Social Security recipients: 135,000 of them are retired; 14,900 are disabled; 9,855 are widows; 4,438 spouses; and more than 8,000 children, but that is not the most important thing, even though all these details are important, but the Sixth District in Illinois receives $323 million monthly. Where does that money go? That money goes to the recipients that I just listed. Where do they spend that money? They spend that money right back in Illinois' Sixth District. Yet Congress hasn't done anything to enhance or extend the program in over 50 years. [[Page H983]] Mr. Speaker, we are long overdue for a vote. We have got a plan that both expands Social Security across the board, makes sure that people who continue to work don't pay taxes on their Social Security, and make sure that we have a COLA that works. Don't you think, Mr. Speaker, it is long overdue for us to have a vote? If you have a better idea and plan, by all means, bring it to the floor in this great democracy and see it work. Instead, we see the President and Elon Musk with their eyes on the Social Security trust fund because he has been ordered to come up with $2 trillion in cuts. What a coincidence that there happens to be just over $2 trillion in the Social Security trust fund. What a coincidence that President Trump is calling for tax cuts for Social Security recipients, but doesn't pay for them, further weakening the trust fund that is already under stress. If Congress does not act by 2033, there will be a 20 percent cut across the board for everyone. If Trump continues down his path of not paying for benefits, it will be over a 36 percent cut. There are over 5 million Americans, fellow citizens, who have paid in all their life and got nothing back from the government because Congress has not acted. ____________________

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CONGRESS HAS NOT ENHANCED SOCIAL SECURITY IN MORE THAN 50 YEARS Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 42 (Wednesday, March 5, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 5, 2025)] [House] [Pages H982-H983] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CONGRESS HAS NOT ENHANCED SOCIAL SECURITY IN MORE THAN 50 YEARS (Mr. Larson of Connecticut was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the Nation's number one antipoverty program for the elderly and the number one antipoverty program for children. That is, of course, Social Security. Last night, in his state of the Union and over the weekend, the President and Elon Musk referred to Social Security as a scam and a Ponzi scheme. I don't believe the people who receive those benefits believe that Social Security is a scam. It is the Nation's number one antipoverty program for the elderly. Since its inception in 1935, it has never missed a payment. It is, for capitalism and entrepreneurialism, our safety net. Yet, Mr. Speaker, as you know, Congress has not acted on enhancing Social Security in more than 50 years. Richard Nixon was the President of the United States the last time Congress, whose responsibility it is, did anything to extend benefits. That includes a COLA that is out of place, as AARP indicates, as well as tax cuts for people who continue to have to work after they retire and then have their Social Security double taxed. It also applies for an across-the-board increase for all of our citizens who haven't seen that since 1971. Mr. Speaker, as you know, there are 10,000 baby boomers a day that become eligible for Social Security, and that is why it is so important. In your district in Illinois, Mr. Speaker, there are 173,000 Social Security recipients: 135,000 of them are retired; 14,900 are disabled; 9,855 are widows; 4,438 spouses; and more than 8,000 children, but that is not the most important thing, even though all these details are important, but the Sixth District in Illinois receives $323 million monthly. Where does that money go? That money goes to the recipients that I just listed. Where do they spend that money? They spend that money right back in Illinois' Sixth District. Yet Congress hasn't done anything to enhance or extend the program in over 50 years. [[Page H983]] Mr. Speaker, we are long overdue for a vote. We have got a plan that both expands Social Security across the board, makes sure that people who continue to work don't pay taxes on their Social Security, and make sure that we have a COLA that works. Don't you think, Mr. Speaker, it is long overdue for us to have a vote? If you have a better idea and plan, by all means, bring it to the floor in this great democracy and see it work. Instead, we see the President and Elon Musk with their eyes on the Social Security trust fund because he has been ordered to come up with $2 trillion in cuts. What a coincidence that there happens to be just over $2 trillion in the Social Security trust fund. What a coincidence that President Trump is calling for tax cuts for Social Security recipients, but doesn't pay for them, further weakening the trust fund that is already under stress. If Congress does not act by 2033, there will be a 20 percent cut across the board for everyone. If Trump continues down his path of not paying for benefits, it will be over a 36 percent cut. There are over 5 million Americans, fellow citizens, who have paid in all their life and got nothing back from the government because Congress has not acted. ____________________