[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 69 (Friday, May 24, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E934]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E934]]
  2002 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT FOR FURTHER RECOVERY FROM AND 
           RESPONSE TO TERRORIST ATTACKS ON THE UNITED STATES

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. TAMMY BALDWIN

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 23, 2002

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4775) making 
     supplemental appropriations for further recovery from and 
     response to terrorist attacks on the United States for the 
     fiscal year ending September 30, 2002, and for other 
     purposes.

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Chairman, I rise to oppose the appalling strategy 
the Majority Party is using to raise our nation's debt limit and raid 
the Social Security Trust Fund. Our nation's families must make hard 
decisions to balance their budgets. We, in Congress, must do the same.
  It is shameful that the Republican Majority seeks to raise our 
nation's debt limit by \3/4\ of a trillion dollars by sneaking it 
through without a debate and without a vote. Especially when the bill 
before us addresses critical emergency needs.
  Some may ask how the average American is affected by this Republican 
trick. They may ask why we as Democrats are fighting against this so 
hard and with such passion. It is because, by raising the debt limit, 
the Republicans are clearing the way to dip into the Social Security 
Trust Fund.
  I've been listening carefully as my Democratic colleagues have spoken 
about the impact of this shameful move on our nation's senior citizens 
and the baby boom generation as it's members approach their retirement 
years. I want to address the way in which this affects our nation's 
younger adults and our nation's children.
  Many of our nation's younger adults are in what has been called the 
``sandwich'' generation . . . balancing the care of their parents (or 
grandparents) with a new career or a new family of their own. Until she 
passed away last year at age 94, I was the primary caregiver for my 
grandmother. I helped her in a variety of ways and one was helping her 
with her budget, paying her bills and balancing her checkbook. I know 
how much of a difference her Social Security income made for her. But 
the independence that Social Security helped my grandmother maintain, 
didn't only help her, it helped me too.
  Protecting Social Security is a commitment we made to our seniors, 
but it is also a commitment we made to families. Who among us would 
turn our backs on our parents or grandparents? It is just as important 
to young people that we have Social Security and Medicare as it is to 
our seniors because it keeps our families and communities strong!
  We talk so much about protecting Social Security in the near-term. 
But what about the youngest generation?
  I have two young cousins, Jennifer and David. Jennifer is five years 
old and David is three. Jennifer will retire in the year 2062 and David 
will retire in 2064. What will the world look like then? None of us 
know. But I do know that in Congress, I want to leave a legacy for 
Jennifer and David, and all the boys and girls of their generation. In 
addition to wanting Jennifer and David to have the best education, 
great health care, and a good job, I want them to have a secure 
retirement that includes Social Security.
  The back-handed actions the Majority takes today to raise the debt 
limit hurts this nation's young children and young adults in yet 
another way. You've heard the Majority throw around the phrase ``tax 
and spend,'' often aiming their words at the Minority. Well what we are 
seeing today is ``borrow and spend.'' Borrow from Social Security and 
Medicare so you can give big tax breaks to American millionaires and 
wealthy corporations and don't sweat it . . . because when you borrow, 
you can leave it to the next generation to pay. It is not fair to young 
Americans that they will have to suffer and struggle with the 
consequences of today's actions.
  I believe that together we can achieve the goal of preserving the 
integrity of Social Security for future generations. But we cannot do 
it together if the Republican party insists on using surreptitious ways 
to increase the debt limit by $750 billion without any public debate 
and without even a straight-forward vote.
  We need to work out a bipartisan plan to protect Social Security and 
responsibly address the debt limit. We need to keep our commitment to 
all hard-working families to safeguard Social Security. We owe it to 
our grandparents to protect Social Security. We owe it to our parents 
to be fiscally responsible. We owe it to our own generation to keep 
within our means. And we owe it to our children to fulfill the legacy 
of a secure retirement. If we accept this language on our country's 
debt limit today without a fair debate and vote, we will owe more than 
money to future generations--we will owe them an apology for having 
broken their trust and broken our promises.
  I yield back.

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