[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 11 (Tuesday, February 8, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS TO DRUG ADDICTS

  (Mr. ROTH asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROTH. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Mississippi 
[Mr. Montgomery] who is currently in the chair, for all he is doing for 
the American veteran.
  Mr. Speaker, last year more than a quarter of a million drug addicts 
in America received $1.5 billion in cash payments from the Social 
Security fund.

                              {time}  1440

  Much of this money was for addiction treatment, but instead, these 
cash payments went to satisfy the addicts' drug habits.
  Hundreds of millions of dollars taken from senior citizens are 
flowing directly to addicts who are buying heroin, cocaine, and other 
drugs on the street. These addicts are taking the Social Security 
System and the American taxpayer for a ride.
  I am asking you here in Congress to help me right this wrong. It is 
time to stop this waste, fraud, and abuse in our Social Security 
System.
  In my opinion, Social Security should be used for Social Security 
purposes only. We cannot allow cash to be taken from the Social 
Security System and given directly to addicts. Our senior citizens and 
the American people, plus just plain common sense, demands that we take 
and make this change.
  As the chairman of the Social Security task force, I ask all the 
Members of Congress to join me in that endeavor.

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