[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 163 (Wednesday, November 17, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2409]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                PROTECTING THE FUTURE OF SOCIAL SECURITY

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. RANDY ``DUKE'' CUNNINGHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 16, 1999

  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about securing the 
future of Social Security.
  Today, nearly 44.4 million Americans receive Social Security 
benefits. More than 4 million of these live in my home State of 
California. Seniors all over America rely on it as a major source of 
retirement income. However, Social Security is not just a retirement 
program. It also provides badly needed survivor and disability benefits 
to America's working men and women.
  Unfortunately, the future of Social Security is not secure. Today, 
more young people believe in UFOs than believe Social Security will be 
there for them. We must work to strengthen Social Security and protect 
our nation's retirement system.
  A simple first step is for politicians to stop raiding the Social 
Security Trust Fund to pay for more government spending. Every senior--
and every future senior--that I talk with agrees with me on this.
  In 1969, the Democrats were in control of Congress. They looked far 
and wide for money to pay for their new social welfare programs. That 
was the year they broke the people's trust. Every year since then, a 
portion of the Social Security Trust Fund surplus has been spent on 
other government spending. Americans have endured 30 years of this, 
turning our Social Security Trust Fund into a ``slush fund.''
  For the seventh consecutive year, President Clinton proposed spending 
billions of the Social Security surplus on government programs. We 
Republicans in Congress would have none of it. For the first time in 
over a generation, we are not spending Social Security funds on 
anything other than Social Security benefits.
  In addition, this spring, the House passed the Social Security and 
Medicare Safe Deposit Act of 1999 (H.R. 1259) and moved one step closer 
to protecting the future of Social Security. This bipartisan measure 
won a vote of 416-12, with all but one of the ``nay'' votes coming from 
members of the President's party--the same party that raided Social 
Security for thirty long years. Our Social Security lockbox legislation 
will change the way the budget is prepared so Social Security funds 
cannot be used for other purposes. It helps every American guard 
against politicians' attempts to raid the Social Security surpluses for 
more government spending. I call on my colleagues in the Senate to pass 
this bill and help us keep 100 percent of Social Security funds for 
Social Security.
  Mr. Speaker, the American people are tired of politicians who say 
nice things about Social Security one day, then raid it for new 
government spending the next. The Republican Congress can and will 
protect 100 percent of the Social Security Trust Fund and stop the raid 
on Social Security this year. We will restore trust to the Social 
Security Trust Fund. And we will not go back. That is my plan, and I 
hope that my colleagues will join me in this important effort.

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