[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 88 (Tuesday, May 21, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H3362-H3363]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM

  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 
address a pertinent issue for all Americans, that being Social 
Security.
  Mr. Speaker, as you know, it has been more than 50-plus years since 
Congress, the only body that can, has taken action to enhance Social 
Security.
  What becomes even more confounding, Mr. Speaker, is that with 10,000 
baby boomers a day becoming eligible for Social Security, Congress has 
not acted to enhance this program.
  I was talking to my good friend, Jodey Arrington, the other day, and 
reminded him that in his district in Texas, for example, he has 128,000 
Social Security recipients, and 90,000 retirees, 9,000 children, almost 
10,000 widows, 4,679 spouses, and 14,000-plus disabled workers. They 
haven't received a benefit enhancement in more than 50 years.
  Moreover, Social Security has nothing to do with the debt or deficit. 
It is an earned benefit. It is fully paid for, and the increases that 
we are calling for, well, the President said it best, we are going to 
pay for those by lifting the cap on $400,000.
  You could have people in the audience, for example, raise their hand 
if they are making more than $400,000. I doubt that you would find 
anybody. It is about six-tenths of 1 percent, but most people are 
astounded to learn that there is a cap, and they haven't paid anything 
into the system, a system that all Americans pay into.

                              {time}  1230

  For example, Mr. Speaker, in Tennessee's Eighth District, 189,000 of 
your citizens receive Social Security benefits, and 136,000 of them are 
retirees, 25,000 disabled people, 4,000 spouses, and the list goes on.
  Here is the most important thing: Your district gets $330 million 
monthly. That goes into your district.
  I say this to my colleagues and good friends on the other side of the 
aisle who are always talking about economic development: What better 
economic development tool is there than for your citizens to get 
payments?
  Nobody gets wealthy on Social Security. They haven't had an increase 
in more than 50 years.
  This money would go right back into my colleagues' districts and be 
spent at the local grocery store, at the pharmacy, at the dry cleaners, 
to pay for rent or a mortgage, or to put gas in an automobile. The 
money all comes back, but Congress hasn't acted in over 50 years.
  Mr. Arrington at least says this about Social Security 2100, the bill 
that we have put forward: It enhances benefits across the board by 2 
percent and repeals WEP and GPO.
  Do you realize, Mr. Speaker, that there are more than 23 million 
Americans who pay taxes on their Social Security? My colleagues are 
quick to make sure that there is tax relief for billionaires. How about 
for people who are actually working for a living and then have to pay 
double taxation on their Social Security? Twenty-three million 
Americans.
  There are 5 million Americans who get below-poverty-level checks from 
the Federal Government, from Social Security, even though they have 
paid in all their quarters. Why? Because Congress hasn't taken action, 
the only body that can. The President can't do this through executive 
order. The Supreme Court isn't going to act. We need to act on a bill.
  As Representative Arrington says: Well, I don't agree with Larson.
  I said: What don't you agree with? If you have a better idea, put it 
forward.
  At least he is honest enough to say they don't have a plan, that they

[[Page H3363]]

haven't written anything down on paper.
  The American people not only need a plan, but what they need is help 
and relief. In this time of global inflation, in this time that is 
coming, it is long overdue for Congress to act.

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