[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 83 (Wednesday, May 17, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H2384]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               POLYCRISIS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Larson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about 
the polycrisis, the new term of art that people are using to describe 
what has happened globally in terms of a global pandemic, followed by 
global supply chain issues, followed by global inflation, and is 
underscored by the war in Ukraine, that has created incredible havoc 
here in this country.
  Of course, the group that is impacted the most are people over the 
age of 65 here in the United States. With slightly over 1 million 
people who have succumbed to the pandemic, 850,000-plus have been over 
the age of 65.
  The same group, Mr. Speaker, is impacted by inflation. Inflation 
hurts people on fixed incomes the most. Those are people on Social 
Security, people who are Social Security recipients.
  Here in this Chamber, we play games. We are in the midst of signing a 
discharge petition to make sure that we lift the debt limit.
  Mr. Speaker, we did that three times under the Trump administration 
without angst or fanfare. Yet here, for the group that is most impacted 
by this polycrisis, this global crisis, this is all while China and 
Russia are looking on and cheering this side of the aisle for their 
efforts to default on the full faith and credit of the United States, 
who will that hurt the most again?
  That will hurt people over the age of 65, the people who are on 
Social Security and Medicare, and veterans who won't be able to get 
their checks.
  Why? To make a political point?
  This is the United States of America. We need to stand up and do the 
right thing for the American people, and that starts with taking care 
of our own. It has been more than 52 years since Congress has enhanced 
Social Security, and this pandemic and this ensuing inflation have hurt 
this group the most.
  There are more than 5 million of our fellow Americans who get below-
poverty-level checks from their government for Social Security. It is 
something they have paid into all of their lives. Contrary to the 
belief on the other side, this is not an entitlement. This is an earned 
benefit. This is what people have paid for.
  Mr. Speaker, 10,000 baby boomers a day become eligible for Social 
Security, and Congress twiddles and diddles here. We need to pass an 
enhanced Social Security bill now.
  As Martin Luther King, Jr., said, it is the fierce urgency of now.
  These people need this relief today. This is not the time for 
political gamesmanship. Now is the time to act.
  I implore my colleagues on the other side: Don't be frozen in the ice 
of your own indifference toward the people of this Nation who need this 
help and relief and need it now. Let's come together as a body and do 
what President Reagan did, do what President Eisenhower did, and do 
what President Nixon did, and come together and enhance Social Security 
on behalf of the citizens of this country.

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