[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 45 (Monday, March 19, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E376]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN RECOGNITION OF ANDREA GORMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 19, 2012

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Andrea Gorman 
for her tireless advocacy for Social Security. Ms. Gorman is a long-
time constituent of mine and a leader within the Local 1584 of the 
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in the 
East Bay. She has triumphed over adversity, and her story is a 
compelling reason to protect Social Security.
  As a child in the 1940s, Andrea suffered the loss of her father; her 
mother unable to financially care for her eight children was forced to 
surrender Andrea and her siblings to an orphanage and foster homes. 
Fortunately a safety net was there and Andrea's family qualified for 
Social Security survivor benefits, which would reunite her with her 
siblings and their mother. Her first encounter with Social Security 
saved her family; her second, her home.
  Forty-five years later, after fighting for her right to work among 
the men in the male dominated machinist industry, Ms. Gorman was 
injured on the job and unable to work. She required Social Security 
disability benefits in order to survive and keep a roof over her head. 
Once again Andrea was grateful to a social program she calls ``her 
guardian angel''.
  Now retired, Andrea continues to advocate for the protection of 
Social Security and she is a trustee for Local 1584. Andrea's life is a 
leading example of why Social Security is one of our nation's most 
vital safety net programs and why we must protect it.
  I invite my colleagues to join me in recognizing a woman who has 
overcome adversity and life's struggles through determination, bravery, 
and hard work. I urge my colleagues to take Andrea's story to heart and 
work to protect Social Security for future generations.

                          ____________________