[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 24, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H725]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       USE BUDGET SURPLUS TO PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE

  (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, I would rise once again this morning to 
strongly urge my colleagues to come together to use the budget 
surpluses to protect both Social Security and Medicare for future 
generations. Both of these programs are success stories for the 
American people.
  Prior to Social Security, over half of our retirees were in poverty 
in this country. Now, it is less than 10 percent. Medicare is the same 
success story, providing health care to millions of retirees and 
disabled across the country.
  If we cannot dedicate the majority of the surpluses to both of these 
important investments for our retirees when we have a surplus, if we 
cannot pay down the debt when we have a surplus, when will we do it?
  Putting dollars into Social Security and Medicare and paying down the 
debt is the right thing to do at this time, and I hope we will come 
together when we can. Now that we have a robust economy, we have the 
opportunity, with budget surpluses, to pay down the debt through paying 
back Social Security and Medicare. We need to do that first before we 
proceed with anything else.

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