[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 149 (Thursday, October 28, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H11072]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HOW REPUBLICANS VOTED IN 1935

  (Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, how many times have you heard it from that 
side of the aisle, the Democrats, that Republicans voted against 
creation of the Social Security program back in 1935? That is flat 
wrong. If ever a vote has been mischaracterized, this is it. Here are 
the facts, and many of our colleagues might be surprised to know that 
79 percent of the 95 Republicans who voted in the House voted for this 
important program; and in the Senate, 75 percent of the 20 Republicans 
who voted cast their vote in support of this legislation. What is even 
more interesting about this vote is that over a dozen Democrats voted 
against this measure. Following this line of reasoning, it could be 
said that Democrats did not support the Social Security Act when this 
was approved in 1935.
  The truth is that both Republicans and Democrats voted to enact this 
legislation to establish this important program. Let the record speak 
for itself.

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