[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 29, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H8972-H8973]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        A COMMITMENT NOT TO SPEND THE SOCIAL SECURITY TRUST FUND

  (Mr. BLUNT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, yesterday we debated a very important 
resolution on this floor to reaffirm our commitment not to spend the 
Social Security surplus. We heard repeatedly from the other side of the 
aisle that we had already spent the Social Security surplus when not 
one penny of that surplus has been spent, and when this House needs to 
be firmly committed not to spend one penny of the Social Security 
surplus.
  I wondered all afternoon and all evening why we would constantly hear 
that, and then I began to realize that for four decades the House has 
spent the Social Security surplus. This is

[[Page H8973]]

truly a historic moment in the life of this House and for the future of 
Social Security. We have to be committed to the future of Social 
Security not to spend Social Security money today. We can and we are in 
the process of putting this budget together without spending the 
surplus. We have to stay committed to that. We cannot let the American 
people believe that has already happened, because it has not. We cannot 
let the message go forth from this House that we are going to continue 
business as usual when we are not.

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