[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 16 (Thursday, February 26, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H636]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               BE HONEST ABOUT PROTECTING SOCIAL SECURITY

  (Mr. KINGSTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, we hear a lot of fanfare about the budget 
and the surplus, and we hear that the deficit has been wiped out. When 
we take a close look at this, we find the only reason why we can say 
the budget is balanced is because we take $100 billion in Social 
Security surplus and apply it to the general fund. Now, if we take that 
out of there, there is still a deficit; that we are still spending more 
money than we bring in if we pull Social Security out of it.
  The reason why this is important is I agree with those who want to 
put Social Security first. I think it is very important to preserve 
Social Security, to protect it and to separate it from the rest of the 
group of money. But the President, as we know, has proposed over $100 
billion in new spending. Now, is it not coincidental that we have a 
$100 billion surplus in Social Security and the President is pushing 
$100 billion in new spending?
  It is total fraud. We are not putting Social Security first. We are 
not protecting it when we are saying let us go out with a whole bunch 
of big government spending programs. I think we should be truthful and 
honest with America's seniors, protect Social Security and not increase 
government spending.

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