[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 16, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H1275]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




REPUBLICANS TAKING THE LEAD IN MAKING SURE SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE 
                   WILL BE THERE WHEN PEOPLE NEED IT

  (Mr. BALLENGER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, to make sure that the Social Security and 
Medicare are there when people need it, the Republican plan locks away 
100 percent of the retirement surplus in a safe deposit box.
  Now I know that the response of many seniors in my district is, ``But 
I thought that was already the case,'' or, ``Why wasn't that done a 
long time ago?''
  Mr. Speaker, I cannot answer for 40 years of Democrat control of this 
body, but I can say that Republicans are taking the lead on the issue. 
While the President's plan takes only 62 percent of the surplus and 
reserves it for Social Security, the Republican plan takes 100 percent 
of the retirement surplus and locks it away for both Social Security 
and Medicare.
  Now let me repeat that the Republican plan locks away 100 percent of 
the retirement surplus and reserves it for Social Security and 
Medicare. Let us not kid ourselves. The retirement surplus alone will 
not solve the problems of Social Security and Medicare, but our 
commitment to strengthen these two programs and protect seniors is 
clear.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my Democrat colleagues to join us in a commitment 
to protecting these programs for seniors.

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