[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 166 (Wednesday, December 15, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2140]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     SENIORS PROTECTION ACT OF 2010

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 14, 2010

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5987, the 
Seniors Protection Act of 2010.
  Earlier this year, the Social Security Administration announced that 
for the second year in a row, Social Security beneficiaries would not 
be receiving a Cost of Living Adjustment, COLA, increase for the second 
year in a row. This legislation provides seniors with an additional 
$250 payment, equivalent to about a 2 percent COLA, to Social Security 
beneficiaries next year.
  A COLA increase is imperative for seniors who rely on their benefits 
to support themselves and their families. According to the Economic 
Policy Institute, 3.5 million seniors are below the poverty level. The 
Department of Labor estimates that almost half of the 2 million workers 
over the age of 55 have been unemployed for 6 months or longer. Yet as 
more seniors experience poverty as a result of the economic downturn, 
the calls for privatizing and cutting Social Security in the name of 
fiscal responsibility have grown louder. Privatizing Social Security 
will hurt the most vulnerable Americans such as women, minority 
communities and children--those Americans that are currently 
experiencing disproportionately the effects of the recession. The 
Congressional Budget Office estimates that the program is fiscally 
sound for another 40 plus years.
  It is our responsibility to guarantee seniors an adequate income 
after a lifetime of paying into Social Security. We must shift the 
focus from cutting vital programs such as Social Security to reviving 
our domestic manufacturing sector as a means to put Americans back to 
work.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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