[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 68 (Wednesday, May 12, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E9331-E9332]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SAVE THE SOCIAL SECURITY SURPLUS--COSPONSOR H.J. RES. 53, THE BALANCED 
             BUDGET AMENDMENT THAT PROTECTS THE TRUST FUND

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                       HON. ERNEST J. ISTOOK, JR.

                              of oklahoma

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 12, 1999

  Mr. ISTOOK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to 
cosponsor H.J. Res. 53, the Balanced Budget Amendment that protects the 
Social Security Trust Fund.
  Many years ago, the Congress made a promise. We promised to take a 
portion of every American's paycheck and keep it in a special trust 
fund. From that trust fund, the government would send a check to every 
American over the age of 65 so that no American would have to worry 
about growing old without someone to care for them. We called that 
promise Social Security.
  We should keep our promise. Most of us now realize Congress has used 
the trust fund as a slush fund to finance other programs. Taking Social 
Security ``off-budget'' is meaningless. Congress did it in 1983, 1985, 
and 1990, and then later quietly ignored the ``off-budget'' rules. An 
ordinary law can't restrain future Congresses. An ordinary law can be 
overturned whenever ``convenient.''
  There is only one way to make certain future Congresses devote that 
money to Social Security--to take it away from them so that they can't 
spend it on anything else. We must pass an amendment to the 
Constitution which would guarantee that all Congresses, present and 
future, will protect Social Security.
  The only protection is to require a balanced budget that does not use 
the Social Security surplus. To do that, we must add to the proposed 
Balanced Budget Amendment the requirement that a surplus in Social 
Security cannot be counted as revenue.
  We can still consider other reforms to Social Security, but first 
things first. Let's finally make a bond that we cannot break, and use 
the Social Security dollars only for Social Security.
  It's the only right and honorable thing to do. To cosponsor this 
version of the Balanced Budget Amendment that protects the Social 
Security Trust Fund, call Dr. Bill Duncan on

[[Page E9332]]

Mr. Istook's staff at 5-2132, or Charlie DeWitt on Mr. Campbell's staff 
at 5-2631.

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