[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 63 (Tuesday, April 8, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S2463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            SOCIAL SECURITY

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on Social Security, a few days ago, Vice 
President JD Vance claimed that 40 percent of people calling to get 
their Social Security ``are committing fraud''--40 percent. First, it 
was Elon Musk calling Social Security a Ponzi scheme. Then Donald Trump 
spent 10 minutes in his congressional address talking about checks to 
150-year-olds, which we all know is a lie. And now the Vice President 
has picked up the ax and is coming for Social Security too.
  We need to be very clear: What the Vice President said was malicious 
disinformation. His statement is factually incorrect. In the words of 
the Washington Post, it is ``absurdity on its face--the kind of twisted 
logic that turns up at the end of a long game of telephone tag.''

  Well, we all know what game they are playing. Donald Trump and his 
inner circle are howling about fraud with the hopes of discrediting 
Social Security entirely. Never mind there is no rampant fraud within 
Social Security; they just want to cut people's benefits. Never mind 
that it is popular--overwhelmingly popular--with Democrats, 
Republicans, liberals, conservatives, rural people, suburban people, 
urban people.
  Why are they doing this, then? Why are they going after something 
that has been as sacred as Social Security since Franklin Roosevelt put 
the program together? Why? It is simple: So they can cut taxes for the 
rich.
  This is a heist. If JD Vance had any intellectual honesty, he would 
acknowledge he was wrong when he said ``40 percent of the people who 
are calling are actually committing fraud,'' but I am not holding my 
breath.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to use a prop 
during my remarks.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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