[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 16, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H7813]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            SOCIAL SECURITY

  (Ms. STABENOW asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, Social Security is a 60-year success story 
that all Americans should be proud of. Prior to Social Security 
enactment, over 50 percent of our retirees were in poverty. Today it is 
less than 10 percent. We have an opportunity now to take the next step 
to protect Social Security for today, for tomorrow, for the future 
generations to come. But we are in jeopardy this week. We have heard 
from my colleagues this morning about efforts to take future Social 
Security trust fund dollars and place them into tax cuts. We last year 
all voted together, a majority of Republicans and Democrats, to provide 
a $95 billion tax cut within the context of a balanced budget. I 
supported that. I want to move forward and continue to do that. But I 
will not vote for tax cuts that remove critical dollars from the future 
of Social Security. That is irresponsible. I call upon my colleagues to 
save Social Security first before any effort is made to proceed on tax 
cuts. The future of Social Security is just too important to all 
Americans.

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