[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 51 (Wednesday, April 14, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H1979]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            SOCIAL SECURITY

  (Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, there is a big difference 
between the President's proposal to reform Social Security and the 
Congressional Republicans' proposal to reform Social Security.
  Under our proposal, 100 percent of the retirement surplus will be put 
away to strengthen Social Security and Medicare and pay down the debt. 
The President uses part of this surplus for Social Security, part for 
Medicare, and part to pay for new Washington spending. But do not take 
my word for it. I urge Americans to verify for themselves the facts at 
issue and compare the two proposals.
  The President's plan includes so many Washington accounting tricks 
that even Houdini would have been impressed. But accounting tricks do 
not make an insolvent program solvent.
  The President's proposal double counts Social Security to the tune of 
$2.4 trillion, hardly a recipe for saving Social Security from 
bankruptcy. I urge my colleagues to join us on a bipartisan basis, to 
protect Social Security and Medicare.

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