[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 126 (Wednesday, August 5, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6404-S6405]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 246--COMMEMORATING 80 YEARS SINCE THE CREATION OF
SOCIAL SECURITY
Mr. WYDEN (for himself, Mr. Reid, Mr. Schumer, Ms. Stabenow, Ms.
Cantwell, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Carper, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Brown,
Mr. Bennet, Mr. Casey, Mr. Warner, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr.
Booker, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Coons, Mr. Donnelly, Mr. Durbin, Mrs.
Feinstein, Mr. Franken, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Heinrich, Ms. Heitkamp,
Ms. Hirono, Mr. Kaine, Mr. King, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Manchin,
Mr. Markey, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Murphy, Mrs.
Murray, Mr. Peters, Mr. Reed, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Schatz, Mrs. Shaheen,
Mr. Tester, Mr. Udall, Ms. Warren, and Mr. Whitehouse) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Finance:
S. Res. 246
Whereas on August 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
signed the Social Security Act into law, thereby establishing
a vital - and ultimately universal - insurance program for
workers and families under which workers earn coverage by
working and paying Social Security taxes on their earnings;
Whereas Congress further strengthened Social Security over
the years by enacting improvements to, and expansion of,
retirement, survivors, and disability benefits for workers
and their families, and now Social Security provides economic
security to the Nation, and touches the life of nearly every
American;
Whereas Social Security is one program that offers two
essential earned benefits that are fundamentally linked:
benefits for workers with disabilities and benefits for
retired workers;
Whereas in 2014, more than 48,000,000 retirement and
survivors beneficiaries and about 11,000,000 disability
beneficiaries, including eligible family members, received
Social Security benefits;
Whereas Social Security benefits are modest but fundamental
to the economic security of our Nation, with the average
disability benefit less than $1,200 per month, or less than
$14,000 per year--falling just above the poverty line--and
the average retirement benefit of close to $1,300 per month,
or less than $16,000 per year;
Whereas older Americans rely heavily on Social Security,
with 9 out of 10 individuals age 65 and older receiving
Social Security benefits, and among elderly Social Security
beneficiaries, 52 percent of married couples and 74 percent
of unmarried persons receive more than half of their income
from Social Security;
Whereas the Social Security Administration will issue
almost $900,000,000,000 in earned benefits this year, while
more than 1,200 Social Security field offices nationwide
provide essential, accurate, and face-to-face services to
millions of Americans each day;
Whereas workers who are supported by disability benefits
today will receive retirement benefits at full retirement age
because Social Security Disability Insurance ensures that
workers who are no longer able to work and their families are
protected from the loss of future retirement benefits;
Whereas Social Security's Disability Insurance protections
are especially important to older workers, with 70 percent of
Social Security Disability Insurance beneficiaries are older
than 50 and 30 percent are older than 60;
Whereas Social Security has evolved with changes in the
American workforce, with the number of working women who are
fully insured for Social Security benefits more than doubling
between 1970 and today;
Whereas Social Security provides fundamental protection to
workers of every age, including young workers, who have a
one-in-three chance of dying or needing Social Security
disability benefits before reaching retirement age;
Whereas Social Security is America's ``family insurance
plan,'' providing more than 9 out of 10 American workers and
their families basic but critical protection in the event
they can no longer work to support themselves and their
families due to a severe medical condition;
Whereas, Social Security provides a lifeline for almost
7,000,000 children nationwide who receive benefits directly
because a parent has died, become disabled, or retired, or
indirectly because they live with a relative who is eligible
to collect benefits;
Whereas Social Security is efficient - administrative
expenses are less than one percent of benefits paid - and
benefit payments are 99 percent accurate; and
Whereas Social Security has dramatically reduced poverty,
with research indicating that the entire reduction in elderly
poverty between 1967 and 2000 was due to Social Security,
that without Social Security 40 percent of the population
older than 65 would be poor, and that Social Security
benefits lifted an estimated 2,000,000 children out of
poverty in 2013: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
(1) Social Security provides earned benefits that are
crucial to the economic security of our Nation and must be
preserved to ensure future generations of Americans are
protected;
(2) with the strong support of the Federal Government,
Social Security must continue to deliver guaranteed
retirement and life insurance benefits for workers and their
families, as well as serve as an indispensable safety net for
the most vulnerable segments of American society, including
children, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and the
poor; and
(3) while the Trust Funds that support Social Security are
projected to pay all benefits through 2034, Congress should
act to ensure this vital program can support workers and
families far into the future, but should reject proposals
that weaken or privatize Social Security and should consider
proposals to strengthen Social Security benefits.
Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I wish to take a few minutes in my capacity
as ranking Democrat on the Committee on Finance to talk about the
upcoming 80th anniversary of a great moment in our country's history--
the creation of the Social Security Program on August 14, 1935.
I am very pleased to be joined by all of my colleagues on this side
of the aisle in the introduction of a resolution demonstrating how much
we appreciate this historic anniversary. Thanks in large part to Social
Security, old age in America is no longer synonymous with hardship.
American workers have the great comfort of knowing that if the worst
happens, Social Security will be there for them and their families.
I remember how essential Social Security was to many of the older
people I worked with when I was director of the Oregon Gray Panthers.
However, eight short decades ago, seniors often lived in poverty and
hard-working Americans had no guarantee of economic security. Our
country was in the throes of the Great Depression. Unemployment topped
20 percent. You had bread lines for blocks, and the homeless population
was growing. There was no social safety net, no lifeline that offered
some measure of dignity. If a person lost their job, became disabled,
suffered the loss of a family member, they were on their own. There was
nowhere to turn. Life was difficult for many Americans but none more so
than the poor, the elderly, or the disabled. Tragically, many aging and
disabled Americans without family to care for them ended up destitute
or on the street.
America is now a different place, thanks in no small part to the
protection of Social Security. It is one of the strongest threads in
America's safety net, protecting the well-being of millions and keeping
millions more out of poverty. This year nearly 60 million American
workers and eligible family members will receive nearly $900 billion in
retirement, survivors, and disability benefits.
Among older Social Security beneficiaries, more than half of married
couples and nearly three-quarters of
[[Page S6405]]
unmarried individuals get the majority of their income from Social
Security. As of 2014, 151 million Americans had earned the protection
of disability insurance. That is a tremendous accomplishment. Well over
100 million workers and their families can go about their days with the
confidence that they are financially protected in the event of a
medical catastrophe because of Social Security.
The program also provides indispensable benefits to nearly 7 million
children. Without those benefits, many of the youngsters would face
dire circumstances after the death or disability of a parent. None of
this could have happened without the continuing support of the
Congress.
Time and time again, Members have come together on a bipartisan basis
to ensure this vital program remains strong. The 1939 amendments to
Social Security expanded retirement benefits. In 1954, the Congress
passed amendments that provided protection for workers who became
disabled. The Social Security amendments of 1980 and 1983 also made
important changes that helped ensure the program's long-term viability.
Social Security is one of America's great economic successes. The
program is robust. In my view, there is big bipartisan interest in
keeping it that way. I look forward to working with my colleagues and
the ranking Democrat on the Finance Committee so that on both sides of
the aisle we work together to ensure that Social Security continues to
thrive for generations to come.
____________________