[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 81 (Monday, May 15, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H2317]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         POLYCRISIS IN AMERICA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Larson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I rise today to address the 
body on what has become a new term of art in politics called a 
polycrisis.
  A polycrisis is when extraordinary events are taking place around the 
world, of which we are all too familiar with, including a global 
pandemic that has set off global supply chain issues and that have set 
off global inflation that impacts everybody around the globe. All of 
which have been compounded by the war in Ukraine and all the disruption 
that that has caused.
  In the midst of this polycrisis, who has been impacted the most in 
this country by both the pandemic and inflation?
  People impacted the most by the pandemic are people over the age of 
65. Of roughly the more than 1.2 million Americans who have succumbed 
to the pandemic, over 850,000, Madam Speaker, are over the age of 65.
  The people who are most impacted by inflation are people on a fixed 
income, and they tend to be people over the age of 65 because they are 
the people on Social Security, which means that some 66-plus million 
Americans are impacted by both the pandemic and inflation, and Congress 
needs to act.
  What we need to do most of all is put the debt ceiling issue behind 
us. To play chicken with people's lives with Social Security checks on 
the line, to default on the American dollar, is criminal. These are 
probably unintended by the other side of the aisle, but nonetheless, 
the direct result of a gamble that makes no sense.
  Who is looking in during this polycrisis but our competitors around 
the world, most notably, China and Russia, who would love to see the 
value of the dollar and the standing of the United States shaken.
  Oddly and ironically enough, this is not happening by any of these 
events abroad but happening right here in this Chamber by the failure 
of Congress to lift the debt ceiling, something that was done three 
times during the Trump administration. Yet, in the face of this pending 
crisis, with our seniors, the most vulnerable amongst us, facing 
excruciating circumstances, we continue to dither here.
  Put the debt ceiling on the floor, vote on it, and lift it so we can 
get on with sending relief to the American people.
  Congress should be embarrassed by its negligence. It has been more 
than 52 years since Congress has enhanced benefits for Social Security.
  How can people go home and look at their friends, their neighbors, 
their parents, their brothers and sisters in the eye and tell them that 
we have done nothing for 52 years?
  Do you think that things have changed since 1971, that prices might 
have gone up?
  Certainly, they have.
  It is long overdue for Congress not simply to protect Social 
Security, but to enhance it during this polycrisis, during this 
epidemic, during this time of inflation, for the most vulnerable among 
us.
  Social Security is the number one antipoverty program for the 
elderly. It is also the number one antipoverty program for children, 
and it also happens to be the best economic development program for 
every single congressional district.
  An average of 145,000 people per congressional district depend on 
Social Security and receive those checks. Where do they spend that 
money? Right back in the district.
  The time to act is now.

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