Enhance Social Security

Floor Speech

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Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about Social Security, the Nation's number one antipoverty program for the elderly and the Nation's number one antipoverty program for children.

Every Member of this 435-person body is impacted by Social Security. It might surprise you, Mr. Speaker, that Social Security has not been enhanced in over 50 years.

For what purpose is Mr. Trump's latest proposal, and that of Elon Musk, to acquire all the data and information on the more than 70 million Social Security recipients and Medicare and Medicaid recipients?

Americans should be outraged. Clearly, one would hope that people in this body are outraged enough to speak up on behalf of their citizens. Why? More than 10,000 baby boomers a day become eligible for Social Security. More than 70 million people across this Nation receive Social Security, a governmental insurance program that has never missed a payment. Yet, Congress hasn't enhanced the program in over 50 years.

God help us, but Mr. Musk has plans for Social Security and Medicare. They have been charged with cutting $2 trillion out of the budget. The three largest items in the Federal budget are Social Security, Medicare, and defense. Where is Mr. Musk going with this, and why does he need the data and information on every American citizen and more than 70 million Social Security recipients?

I hope that you, Mr. Speaker, are mentioning this to your constituents in your district. You have over 115,000 people who get pensions from Social Security; 88,000 retirees; 10,000-plus disabled workers, most of them veterans; 5,486 widows; 2,509 spouses; and 8,000 children.

Mr. Speaker, what most Members don't realize is that this is the number one economic development plan for every single congressional district. Why? Every district, on average, gets $2 million a month from Social Security because it goes directly to those constituents, Mr. Speaker, who I just named.

Where do they spend that money, Mr. Speaker? Right back in their own districts, right back at the local pharmacy, at the grocery store, on heating and cooling their homes, and on putting gas in their tanks.

This is what the American people are facing.

When are people in this body going to have the guts to stand up and take a vote for their constituents, people who haven't seen a benefit enhancement in more than 50 years?

Do we think the cost of living has changed a little? Is it okay that 5 million of our fellow Americans get checks below the poverty level, having paid into a system all their lives? Is it okay that most of them are women because they have spent less time in the workforce while taking care of their children? When they were in the workforce, they were earning less.

Rise up, America. Rise up, Mr. Speaker. Join us in saying: Let's have a vote. Let's send what our constituents need. We haven't done the job in more than 50 years. Now is the time to act.

Mr. Trump says that he is going to make sure he eliminates taxes on Social Security. That is another major problem. Of course, we have that in a bill that is before this body. The difference is we pay for it. Mr. Musk and Mr. Trump don't want to pay for it because what they want to do with that money is provide another tax break for the wealthy on the backs of everyday working Americans who have done this throughout their lifetimes.

Mr. Speaker, I hope everybody in this Chamber finds some spine, stands up, and takes a vote on Social Security.

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