[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 163 (Wednesday, November 17, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H12113]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     STOP BALANCING THE BUDGET ON THE BACKS OF OUR SENIOR CITIZENS

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, although the Democrats claim they are the 
stand-alone founders and saviors of Social Security and Medicare, their 
actions of late have proven just the opposite.
  Our Vice President, Mr. Gore, and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. 
Gephardt), our minority leader, have both claimed that no Republicans 
voted for the establishment of Social Security. False.
  Here are the facts. When the House passed the 1935 Social Security 
Act on April 19, 1935, 79 percent of the 97 Republicans voted for it: 
``Aye.'' When the Senate acted on June 19, 1935, 75 percent of the 20 
Republicans voted ``aye.''
  Now, claims like those we are hearing suggesting that Democrats have 
created everything from Social Security to the Internet are quite 
amusing. Yet, the debate over the future of our most important social 
program is no laughing matter. Today's debate should really be about 
whether or not we are now keeping the Social Security Trust Fund safe 
from a Democratic raid to pay for new programs, something they have 
done for over 30 years.
  We must stop balancing the budgets on the back of our senior 
citizens.

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