[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 25, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H1225]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   SOCIAL SECURITY IS NOT A GIVEAWAY

  (Mr. Kennedy of New York was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. KENNEDY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong 
opposition to President Trump and Elon Musk's attacks on the safety 
nets that countless western New Yorkers and people across the country 
have earned and need. Hardworking Americans rely on the promise of a 
secure and dignified retirement. That promise is called Social 
Security, and it is a solemn promise we must keep.
  Yet, from Elon Musk accessing private beneficiary data to Trump's 
handpicked Acting Commissioner declaring living recipients to be 
deceased in order to claw back their benefits, Social Security is under 
fire.
  Starting next week, a new rule will create further barriers, 
requiring in-person identity verification for those who are unable to 
register online. This will hurt the most vulnerable people in our 
community: people with disabilities, limited income, inadequate access 
to technology or transportation, and our seniors who rely on phone-
based support. At the same time, the administration is planning to 
close offices around the country, making it even harder for people to 
access these services.
  These reckless actions are robbing the hardworking men and women that 
I represent in western New York. It is a slap in the face to every 
American citizen who has spent decades paying into the system, and 
every widow, person with a disability, and child who lost a parent too 
soon who deserves and needs the benefits that allows them to survive.
  Social Security is not a giveaway. The program is fully funded by the 
people who rely on it, by the sweat and hard-earned wages of American 
workers. Without Social Security, nearly 22 million Americans--many of 
them seniors on a fixed income or people with disabilities--will be 
plunged into poverty overnight.
  In my district alone, over 167,000 people rely on Social Security 
benefits to pay their bills, put food on the table, and afford their 
prescriptions. It has allowed seniors to stay in their homes, help 
widows keep the lights on, and ensure that people who have worked their 
whole lives don't spend their final days scraping by.
  Despite the incredible progress we have made as a Nation to keep 
people out of poverty, President Trump and Elon Musk are rolling back 
the clock in order to give tax cuts to billionaires and the ultrarich. 
Elon Musk even called Social Security the biggest Ponzi scheme of all 
time. Perhaps he has this confused with his own plan to cut taxes for 
the richest among us, including himself, at the expense of everyone 
else.
  Congress must reject the administration's attempt to weaken Social 
Security. We need to fight tooth and nail against those who want to 
raise the retirement age, reduce benefits, or privatize this program 
for the benefit of corporations and the ultrarich. Instead, we should 
be strengthening Social Security to protect this vital safety net and 
fighting for an America where working people get to retire with 
dignity.
  President Trump needs to keep his hands off Social Security.


                Happy 100th Birthday to Edgar Carl Wilke

  Mr. KENNEDY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a true 
American, World War II veteran Edgar Carl Wilke, as he celebrates his 
100th birthday.
  A resident of West Seneca, New York, Mr. Wilke served our Nation with 
courage in World War II, where he was wounded in battle defending the 
freedoms we hold dear. After enlisting from his hometown of Buffalo, he 
achieved the rank of private first class while serving in the 24th 
Infantry Division of the 21st Regiment.

  For his bravery and heroic conduct in the Pacific theater, he was 
awarded the Bronze Star Medal. For wounds taken during the Battle of 
the Philippines, he received a Purple Heart. Along with these two high 
honors, he has received numerous other awards, including the American 
Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two bronze 
service stars, the World War II Victory Medal, the Combat Infantryman 
Badge, and the Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar.
  Mr. Wilke's sacrifice is a reminder that the liberties we enjoy today 
were secured by the bravery of patriots like him. We owe our veterans 
more than gratitude. We owe them our unwavering commitment to ensuring 
that they receive the care, benefits, respect, and recognition that 
they deserve.
  On behalf of the people of western New York and a grateful Nation, I 
wish Mr. Wilke a very happy 100th birthday. I thank him for his 
service, and may his century of life continue to be an inspiration to 
us all.

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