[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 50 (Thursday, March 21, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H1304-H1305]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   WE NEED TO ENHANCE SOCIAL SECURITY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Larson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to draw 
attention to the Nation's number one antipoverty program for the 
elderly and the Nation's number one antipoverty program for our 
children. It is something that everyone is familiar with: It is Social 
Security. This Congress and previous Congresses have not done anything 
to enhance Social Security, Mr. Speaker, in more than 50 years. Richard 
Nixon was the President of the United States the last time Congress 
enhanced benefits for what now amount to 70 million Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, in your district alone, 176,794 Social Security 
recipients haven't received an enhancement in more than 50 years.
  This is also the Nation's leading economic development program 
because in your district, $300 million comes into your district 
monthly. Where do those people spend that money? Right back in your 
district at the local grocery store, at the pharmacy, at the gas 
station, pay off their rent, et cetera.
  It is the Nation's number one antipoverty program for a reason 
because of the genius of Franklin Delano Roosevelt who saw in a 
capitalistic system like ours there needs to be a safety net and a 
balance.
  For more than 40 percent of all Americans on Social Security, it is 
the only pension benefit that they have.

[[Page H1305]]

  Speaker pro tempore Miller was in the chair earlier, and there are 
over 160,000 of her constituents on Social Security. What Congress 
needs to do is vote.
  Now, my good friend Kevin Hern says that you have a plan on the other 
side to cut benefits. We see that President Trump has laid out his 
proposal that he would like to cut Social Security benefits. Cutting 
benefits is not the way to save Social Security.
  The President and Democrats have a very specific plan: to enhance 
benefits across the board and extend the solvency of Social Security so 
that all of our constituents can receive the benefits they richly 
deserve.
  Mr. Speaker, 10,000 baby boomers a day become eligible for Social 
Security, which is not an entitlement. With all the discussion about 
the debt and deficit, it doesn't contribute a single penny to the debt 
or deficit. It is a paid-for program.
  The business community pays half and gets a full tax deduction for it 
and individuals pay the other half. How do they know? All they have to 
do is go to their pay stub and look at the word ``FICA,'' that stands 
for Federal Insurance Contributions Act.
  Whose contribution? Theirs.
  Mr. Speaker, that is 176,794 people in your district who make these 
contributions. This is not an entitlement. This is a benefit that they 
have earned and the only body that can address this is the United 
States Congress. It is long overdue for us to take this up on behalf of 
our constituents. If there is a better idea or you think that further 
study is needed, put it on the floor and let's have a vote on it.
  Everybody professes how much they love and respect Social Security. 
Where is the plan? Where is the vote that people can say this is what 
my Representative stands for and this is what we are going to receive?
  We don't need to cut benefits for Social Security. We need to enhance 
them. We need to make sure that WEP and GPO get repealed. We have to 
make sure that people are no longer paying income tax on their Social 
Security. We have to make sure that that happens now.

                          ____________________