    [Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 10, 2018)]
    [House]
    [Page H129]
    From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                     SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION BACKLOG

      (Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission
    to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his
    remarks.)
      Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call
    attention to a dangerous backlog at the Social Security Administration
    that is harming millions of Americans across the Nation, especially in
    and around the city of Philadelphia.
      Philadelphians face the longest delays in the Nation, where thousands
    of applicants wait as long as 26 months, on average, for a basic
    preliminary hearing. Last year alone, 9,000 Americans died awaiting an
    SSA benefits determination.
      In 1974, we made a promise to be there for our elderly, blind, and
    disabled Americans who have little or no income. They, in turn, rely
    upon the Social Security Administration to approve their eligibility
    and administer these life-sustaining benefits.
      On Monday, I led a letter with my Democratic colleagues from the
    Philadelphia area and New Jersey demanding answers from the SSA's
    leadership.
      Today I rise to stand up for the millions of Americans who are on
    their own, suffering from a crisis of public service that threatens
    their ability to afford basic necessities through no fault of their
    own. I will not stand down until this problem is fixed.

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