Social Security

Floor Speech

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Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, Social Security, as you know, is the number one anti-poverty program in this country for the elderly and the number one anti-poverty program in the country for our children.

More than 70 million Americans receive Social Security. Yet, it has been more than 54 years since Congress has last enacted any legislation to enhance Social Security.

Richard Nixon was the President of the United States the last time that Congress enhanced the benefits of Social Security. With more than 10,000 baby boomers a day becoming eligible for Social Security, you can understand the impact that this has, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, more than 154,000 people in Alabama in your district alone receive Social Security; 111,000-plus for pensions; 19,000 receive disability payments; more than 9,000 widows; 4,000 spouses; and more than 9,000 children.

Mr. Speaker, $275 million a month comes into your district to supply the people of that district with the essential benefits they need and to keep most of them out of poverty. Where do they spend this money? They spend it right back in the communities that they live in.

This is an important economic enhancement, as well, and Congress has not taken any action in more than 54 years. Now, the Republican Study Committee says that it is going to cut Social Security.

The benefits are going to be cut regardless of whether Congress takes no action. That is why Congress should act and act now. We shouldn't be looking to cut benefits for the citizens we represent. We should be enhancing benefits that haven't been touched in more than 50 years.

President Trump has now called for tax cuts for Social Security. That is laudable in and of itself. However, he does not pay for them.

Mr. Speaker, my colleagues know that when you don't pay for those benefits, the money comes directly out of the trust fund. The great irony in attempting to say that Congress is going to give citizens a tax cut is that what Members are really doing is cutting benefits by more than 36 percent for all those individuals.

Mr. Speaker, Democrats have a plan that calls for a tax cut, as well, but it is paid for. The American people need to know that these benefits need to be paid for, and Congress needs to take action. Otherwise, we will continue to stress the Social Security trust fund that Congress hasn't acted on in over 50-plus years.

I am sure, for a number of people listening in the audience and our viewers, they understand what this means, but they probably weren't aware that it is going to take a vote of Congress. This isn't something the President can do through executive action or that the Supreme Court is going to do. It is going to take an act of Congress specifically on behalf of the individuals we are sworn to serve.

By passing a tax cut that is not paid for, what my colleagues are really doing is cutting benefits for all recipients, including those who will receive the tax cut. Even though they may get some temporary relief, the program will be impacted in the long term. Meanwhile, people like Elon Musk are paying nothing into a system that desperately needs the help of Congress.

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