[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 15, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H3716-H3717]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            SOCIAL SECURITY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Larson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, we all anticipate and await 
the presentation from an international hero. Hearing from President 
Zelensky tomorrow is exactly what this Congress and what the Nation 
needs to hear. I believe that we will come out united. Certainly, our 
thoughts and prayers are with the people of Ukraine and the bravery of 
President Zelensky.
  Madam Speaker, I am here to also talk about another urgency here at 
home. The fierce urgency of now, as Martin Luther King said, would 
apply to seniors all across our country. We are all painfully aware of 
the results of the pandemic with more than 900,000 Americans having 
perished and over 660,000 of them over the age of 65.
  Madam Speaker, you know firsthand as well because you led Chairman 
Neal's racial equity initiative that also underscored this very group 
of people--seniors and especially people of color--who have been 
impacted the most.
  As John Lewis said: This is the next major civil rights issue. And if 
Black Lives Matter and is more than just a slogan, it is long overdue 
for the Congress of the United States to take action.
  I commend you, Madam Speaker, for your efforts in making sure that we

[[Page H3717]]

bring to the American public's attention this inequity that exists. 
Imagine more than 5 million Americans in the wealthiest nation on the 
face of the Earth living in poverty, millions of whom have paid all 
their lives into a Social Security system that gives them a below 
poverty-level check.

                              {time}  1215

  The last time Congress did anything to enhance Social Security was in 
1971. Richard Nixon was the President, and a gallon of milk cost 72 
cents.
  A lot has transpired since then, especially as it relates to our 
seniors. The people who are impacted the most, along with COVID, are 
the people who are on fixed incomes. They are impacted by inflation as 
well. That is why it is so vitally important, with more than 10,000 
baby boomers a day becoming eligible for Social Security, that Congress 
finally acts.
  Help is on the way. Social Security 2100: A Sacred Trust will do just 
that and make sure that it provides across-the-board relief and makes 
sure that no one can retire into poverty and raises the new floor for 
those who are in desperate need now. We can no longer afford to kick 
the can down the road. The pandemic has only further underscored the 
problem that our seniors face.
  Madam Speaker, as you know, it is not just our seniors. When we look 
at veterans, more veterans rely on Social Security disability than they 
do on the VA. When we look at spousal and dependent coverage and the 
need for children to stay on their policies and be able to be eligible 
as Social Security recipients, how we have treated widows and widowers, 
all needs to be addressed.
  Who is impacted the most by this? Women. And specifically women of 
color that are most in need, because of the jobs they held in society 
and because they were primarily caregivers and spent more time at home. 
It is they who are living longer and also need assistance from the 
United States Congress.
  It is long overdue for us to act. It has been more than 50 years 
since Congress has done anything. This is not something the President 
can do with an executive order or that is going to be adjudicated by 
the courts. This can only happen if Congress takes action.
  I am proud of the efforts of Chairman Neal and the Ways and Means 
Committee as we move toward a markup of Social Security and to bring 
this to the floor and then to vote on it in the Senate.

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