[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 26 (Friday, February 7, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E152]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                LOCAL-BASED SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GRACE MENG

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, February 7, 2020

  Ms. MENG. Madam Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the need 
to ensure that we protect the most vulnerable of Americans, our 
elderly, disabled and disadvantaged citizens, from the risk of living 
in poverty. Social Security was established 85 years ago, to provide a 
structure to maintain a collective sense of security amidst the 
expansion and development of our great Nation.
  According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), about 63 
million Americans received $1 trillion in benefits in 2018. SSA 
estimates that about one-third of beneficiaries depend on Social 
Security benefits for more than 90 percent of their retirement income. 
Furthermore, the number of Americans 65-and-older is projected to 
nearly double from 52 million in 2018 to 95 million by 2060; their 
total population will rise from 16 percent to 23 percent. 
Unfortunately, due to inflation and wide economic disparities by 
region, Social Security provides an uneven distribution of benefits 
across the country. As you know, New York City is one of the most 
expensive places to live in the nation, and many, especially seniors, 
battle with paying for even the most basic of necessities, including 
food and rent.
  That is why I am introducing the ``Locality-based Social Security 
Benefits Act'', which would adjust the amount of monthly old-age, 
survivors, and disability insurance payments under Title II of the 
Social Security Act based on locality-based comparability payment 
rates.
  Madam Speaker, Social Security is an important safety net that many 
Americans have come to rely upon as their main source of income. We 
must ensure that the quality of life is not dependent upon where our 
senior and disadvantaged citizens live in America. I urge my colleagues 
to support this legislation.

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