[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 27 (Monday, February 10, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H590-H591]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    PROTECTING SOCIAL SECURITY DATA

  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 address 
ongoing concerns about Social Security, especially just in this past 
week since Mr. Musk has decided that he, in an unauthorized position 
not approved by the Senate and with no accountability, is after 
everybody's data and information at SSA.
  Mr. Speaker, it might surprise some of the viewers in our audience to 
know why the wealthiest man in the world needs to know your Social 
Security, Medicare, and Medicaid information. Privacy is something that 
Americans value. Data is something that billionaires can turn into 
money. Mr. Speaker, we need to know what role Elon Musk and DOGE--or I 
call it dodge because they dodge accountability--will have with the 
agency and everyone's hard-earned benefits, as if an unconfirmed, 
unelected billionaire should have access to yours or anyone's sensitive 
information.
  If the cuts that they are promising and what he is looking for come 
through, then that means people's personal Social Security will be 
reduced by 36 percent. It hasn't been enhanced since Richard Nixon was 
President of the United States. Now, Mr. Musk is out because he has 
been charged to cut the budget by $2 trillion. As everyone knows, 70 
percent of the Federal budget comes from Social Security, Medicare, and 
defense.
  They are coming after you. Specifically, they need that data also so 
he and his minions of unauthorized, unaccountable people can go 
forward.
  We have written to Acting Commissioner King. Attorneys general across 
the country, including my own from the State of Connecticut, Attorney 
General Tong, are putting forward attempts. Then, we learned today or 
this

[[Page H591]]

morning that President Trump says that he is just going to ignore the 
courts because he believes that he is above the law, Mr. Speaker, that 
he is not accountable to anyone. Now, he is saying that he is not even 
accountable to the courts because he and the billionaire class have 
gotten together and said: Don't worry. No one on the Republican side of 
the House and Senate who controls both the House and Senate is going to 
speak up and challenge us.
  We need to protect Americans' privacy and their Social Security. For 
40 percent of all Americans, Social Security is the basis for their 
retirement and their retirement savings. For 28 million Americans, 
Social Security is the only thing that they have, and that is why we 
have to make sure that we are protecting it, as well.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from 
engaging in personalities toward the President.

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