[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 29, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H517-H518]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           TIME TO REPEAL THE SOCIAL SECURITY EARNINGS LIMIT

  (Mr. BALLENGER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

[[Page H518]]

  Mr. BALLENGER. Madam Speaker, it has been said that the time to fix 
the roof is when the sun is shining. Our economy is shining brightly, 
and it is time to fix much of the unfairness in our Tax Code.
  Right now our government unfairly punishes working seniors through 
the social security earnings limit. Americans have a strong work ethic. 
We have a strong desire to contribute to our surroundings. Yet, after 
the age of 65, our government punishes senior citizens who wish to stay 
in the work force.
  Social security was designed to give some protection to senior 
citizens. It was not designed to be a program that would punish those 
who chose to keep working past the age of 65. Right now in this country 
more than 800,000 working senior citizens lose part or all of their 
social security benefits because of this earnings limit. This is 
ridiculous.
  This week the Republicans in the House will bring up a bill that 
would repeal the social security earnings limit, and I hope the 
President will sign it. The time has come to give working seniors a 
break and repeal the social security earnings limit.

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