[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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