[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 9, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H642-H643]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            SOCIAL SECURITY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hurd of Texas). Under the Speaker's 
announced policy of January 6, 2015, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. 
Fortenberry) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the 
majority leader.
  Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I want to share a story with everyone 
tonight. Although I live in Nebraska, I keep an old family van here in 
Washington, D.C., which is particularly helpful when our children are 
visiting.
  On one particular occasion, the van was very messy. My children were 
smaller then, and I had not had the time to clean it. I was actually 
parking the van in a downtown garage here in

[[Page H643]]

the city, and somewhat embarrassingly, I handed the keys to the 
attendant and said to him: Sorry, I have five children.
  He looked at me and smiled. He says: Oh, don't worry. I have seven 
children, and they are going to take care of me when I am old.
  I looked back at him, and I also smiled. I said: You know what that 
is called? That is called social security.
  He then said: I like that. Could I say that?
  I said: You can say it all that you like.
  Mr. Speaker, while we think of Social Security as that important 
retirement security program, which is so essential to so many people, I 
want to take a moment to just explore a broader understanding of how we 
find our security together as a people, as a Nation.
  I want to re-imagine this term ``Social Security'' in a wider sense 
of the phrase, what it means to find belonging, protection, and mutual 
support. Ultimately, society depends upon a binding set of narratives 
and an agreement with one another about one fundamental fact: the 
agreement that we should care about each other, that we are committed 
to one another, and that we have a common vision.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, Americans are continuing to confront a number of 
longstanding challenges to our country's well-being. Let's be honest. 
There is widespread distrust of government, and the economy's capacity 
is sadly deepening a sense of division and further fracturing our 
society as more and more people seem to feel left out.
  Fortunately, Mr. Speaker, our Nation still does have great character 
and great strength, found first and foremost in durable values that 
keep us resilient with the ability to adapt and change, even in the 
most turbulent of times. So although there is justifiable anxiety and 
anger at the present moment--in fact, they are a hallmark of the 
present moment--Americans do desire a new settlement of both security 
and opportunity.
  Mr. Speaker, here is the dilemma: a constant focus on a Washington-
based solution offers a false sense of solidarity and is no substitute 
for community. Technocratic management through centralized government 
cannot rekindle the vibrancy of our society. And far from healing our 
wounded culture, the government simply cannot fix everything that is 
wrong. Doing so, attempting to do so will simply recalculate winners 
and losers. This is especially true when America's political system 
suffers from so much discord and dysfunction.
  So here is the answer: a hopeful politics and a truly good society 
are ultimately relational. For instance, although we are not immune 
from harsher downward trends where I live, we have, in my State of 
Nebraska, to some degree, I believe, safeguarded the importance of 
community, the necessity and integrity of the family, and the quality 
of care for ourselves as well as those around us.

                              {time}  1915

  I am proud of this fact, Mr. Speaker. I often refer to it as the 
Nebraska model. Such social vibrancy reduces the necessity for 
government intervention and actually creates happier outcomes.
  Mr. Speaker, the Social Security program itself is so critical to 
protecting the well-being of America's seniors. I believe strongly in 
this program, as so many others do.
  In fact, when I was a child, I received Social Security myself due to 
the premature death of my father when I was 12 years old. It helped get 
the family through. This is an important program for America's security 
and for peace of mind of so many of our elder citizens.
  But I think a broader view of this concept, this ideal, of Social 
Security demands that we regrasp the ideals of community and 
interdependency with one another. Proper progress in our Nation 
recognizes that our individual liberty is not merely a license to do 
whatever we want.
  A hyper sense of individualism can obscure the foundational truth of 
our shared humanity, which longs for community. It inhibits the common 
endeavors necessary for advancing a brighter future together as a 
nation, as one people.
  Liberty and, therefore, human happiness are inextricably intertwined 
with our society, with our responsibility to one another, and that is 
what gives fullness to the meaning of Social Security.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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