[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 48 (Thursday, April 25, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H1624]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        WELFARE REAUTHORIZATION

  (Mr. SMITH of Michigan asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, in this November's election, 
there is going to be a lot of talk and debate about Social Security. As 
a person that has worked for the last 9 years on the Social Security 
problems; and how we achieve the best possible solution to make sure 
that we keep this important program, and having served in the last 
session as chairman of the bipartisan Task Force on Social Security, I 
would like to make a couple of suggestions.
  One is that we do not try to scare people in an effort to achieve 
some kind of political advantage, but rather that we talk about the 
real problem of Social Security; we talk about the real cost of doing 
nothing. Right now we have a $9 trillion unfunded mandate. It needs to 
be rationally discussed; we need to face up to the challenge. It is a 
serious problem.
  In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, the longer we put off a solution, the 
more drastic that solution. Let us move ahead with real discussion and 
debate, not demagoguery.

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