[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 86 (Thursday, June 30, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 30, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
  SILVER AWARD TO NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO PRESERVE SOCIAL SECURITY AND 
                                MEDICARE

  Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, the National Committee to Preserve Social 
Security and Medicare, a grassroots advocacy and education organization 
for older Americans based in Washington, DC recently won the Society of 
National Association Publications' Silver Award. The award recognized 
an editorial written by National Committee President Martha McSteen 
which appeared in their membership publication, ``Secure Retirement.''
  Mr. President, I have worked closely with Martha and her staff on a 
number of issues that affect older people in this country. I understand 
their commitment to maintaining Social Security, and I congratulate 
Martha for her award-winning article.
  Mr. President, I ask for unanimous consent to have my remarks entered 
into the Record along with Mrs. McSteen's award-winning editorial and a 
letter announcing the award in the Congressional Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                               Society of National


                                     Association Publications,

                                                   April 24, 1994.
     Jack McDavitt,
     National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare, 
         Secure Retirement, Washington, DC.
       Dear Jack McDavitt: We would like to thank you for 
     participating in the 1994 SNAP EXCEL Awards competition. This 
     year we received a total of 651 entries, over 30% more than 
     last year and by all accounts, the projects were of a very 
     high quality and the judging extremely challenging.
       We are delighted to inform you that your entry, Secure 
     Retirement, was awarded a Silver Award in the Magazines--
     Editorial or Column category for ``Social Security Protects 
     the American Family.'' Congratulations on your fine work and 
     exemplary product: your efforts have truly identified 
     National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare as 
     a leader in the field.
       As a winner, we cordially invite you to attend the Awards 
     Breakfast where a presentation ceremony will take place and 
     your publication will be publicly recognized as an award 
     winner. The breakfast will be held Wednesday, May 25 from 9-
     11 a.m. at the Washington Marriott in Washington, DC. Please 
     plan to join us for this annual celebration of the awards 
     winners and use the enclosed form as your RSVP.
       We appreciate your participation in this year's competition 
     (and certainly next year's too!) and hope to see you in May 
     at Exploring New Horizons, where the winning entries will be 
     showcased and judges highlighted.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Laura J. Devlin,
                                   Director, Association Services.

                [From Secure Retirement, Nov.-Dec. 1993]

              Social Security Protects the American Family

                          (By Martha McSteen)

       The ink was barely dry on the new budget law--one which 
     mandates increased income taxes on Social Security benefits--
     before a proposal was made to once again threaten seniors in 
     the name of deficit reduction.
       The Concord Coalition--headed by former Sens. Paul Tsongas 
     and Warren Rudman--has released its plan to eliminate the 
     federal budget deficit by the year 2000. And they mean to do 
     it by cutting entitlements--primarily Social Security and 
     Medicare.
       Indeed, the Concord Coalition advocates a combination of 
     other changes--ending some obsolete subsidies, raising some 
     new taxes--in order to achieve their goal. But the lion's 
     share of the ``savings'' is achieved by means testing the 
     Social Security and Medicare benefits of middle- and upper-
     income seniors.
       The plan is based on the premise that seniors who are more 
     well-off are not deserving of government support. Make no 
     mistake--this is not just a move to curb benefits to the 
     wealthy since means testing would start at family income 
     levels of $40,000.
       This is an attack on the fundamental principles of Social 
     Security.
       It seems once again seniors must educate the leaders and 
     the lawmakers as to the truth about Social Security, Medicare 
     and other earned-right entitlements.
       Policy makers blame these programs for the deficit and 
     claim that the budget cannot be balanced without cutting 
     benefits.
       This is simply untrue. Earned-right entitlements like 
     Social Security and Medicare Part A do not cause the deficit.
       Both of these programs are paid for by payroll 
     contributions dedicated to a specific purpose. The monies 
     collected from workers and employers are put into separate 
     trust funds to pay benefits and administrative expenses. 
     Period.
       The Social Security is running a huge surplus--more than 
     $46 billion this year alone. In no way is it contributing to 
     the deficit.
       But there is an even more important point to make, one 
     which the number-crunchers seem to overlook. Social Security 
     and Medicare protect the American family in its times of 
     need. And Americans overwhelmingly support and value the 
     security these programs provide.
       Social Security gives financial security to those who have 
     retired at 62 or older, to those who cannot work due to 
     disability and to those who have lost a family worker. 
     Medicare ensures disabled and older Americans have access to 
     needed health care services.
       Those who blame entitlement benefits for the nation's 
     deficit woes often ignore Social Security as a family 
     protection program. More than 2.5 million beneficiaries are 
     children 18 years old and under.
       Social Security provides valuable disability and life 
     insurance protection for American families; Medicare provides 
     health insurance for more than 1.9 million disabled Americans 
     under 55.
       Social Security lifts more families with children out of 
     poverty than does the Aid to Families with Dependent Children 
     (AFDC) program.
       The changes proposed by the Concord Coalition would shift 
     Social Security and Medicare from universal, progressive 
     social insurance programs to welfare programs.
       They would strip these programs of the public support they 
     currently enjoy.
       And that would be tragic. Social Security is the most 
     effective anti-poverty program our nation has, simply because 
     it is not a welfare program.
       Another point to remember: critics argue Social Security 
     and Medicare benefits are misplaced on the middle class. 
     Calling Social Security a middle-class entitlement program, 
     however, is a badge of success.
       Without Social Security, more than one-third of all 
     beneficiaries would no longer be middle class. They would be 
     poor.

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