[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 7, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H1887-H1888]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       ENHANCING SOCIAL SECURITY

  (Mr. Larson of Connecticut was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the 
Nation's number one antipoverty program for the elderly and the 
Nation's number one antipoverty program for children.
  Mr. Speaker, as you know, I am talking about Social Security. More 
alarming, Mr. Speaker, is that it has been more than 50 years since 
Congress has enhanced Social Security for the citizens of this great 
country.
  What does that mean? That means that more than 70 million Social 
Security recipients have not seen an enhancement to Social Security 
since Richard Nixon was President of the United States.

[[Page H1888]]

  I applaud Leader Hakeem Jeffries for putting together a plan and for 
presenting something to the American people that stands in stark 
contrast to nothing being put forward.
  It doesn't bother me so much that Republicans aren't putting any 
proposals forward, but they would deny a hearing on Social Security and 
a vote on a measure that Congress hasn't addressed in more than 50 
years.
  Mr. Speaker, as you know, there are more than 70-plus million Social 
Security recipients. Ten million baby boomers a day become eligible for 
Social Security and wonder why Congress hasn't acted.

  Mr. Speaker, for more than 5 million of our fellow Americans who have 
paid into this system all their lives, they get below-poverty-level 
checks from their government because Congress hasn't acted.
  Mr. Speaker, for more than 35 million people, this is the only 
pension they will receive, and Congress hasn't responded.
  Again, I applaud Mr. Jeffries for saying, yes, what we need is an 
across-the-board increase for everyone on Social Security. As Mr. 
Jeffries has laid out, we need to repeal the provision to have people 
who continue to work after they retire and not have their Social 
Security taxed.
  That is part of the Democratic plan, along with making sure that no 
one can retire into poverty and lifting the more than 5 million people 
who get below-poverty-level checks out of poverty.
  Mr. Speaker, I know you know this. In Illinois' 12th Congressional 
District, there are more than 179,000 Social Security recipients, and 
more than 131,000 of them are retirees. Mr. Speaker, 21,000-plus are 
disabled. There are 11,000-plus widows; 4,000-plus spouses; and 10,000-
plus children who haven't seen an increase in more than 50 years. It is 
long overdue for Congress to take action.
  I plead with you, Mr. Speaker, to join us and to encourage Republican 
leadership minimally to have a hearing on this. If you have a better 
plan, Mr. Speaker, by all means, put it forward. At least let the plan 
that Hakeem Jeffries has put forward have a vote. If my colleagues 
disagree with it, that is fine. It is America. It is a democracy. Vote 
against it.
  Why shouldn't Congress vote on making sure that Illinois' 12th 
Congressional District sees an increase they haven't seen in more than 
50 years, as well as the First Congressional District in the State of 
Connecticut and all 535 congressional districts where individuals have 
not seen an increase, especially during these inflationary times.
  For a party that used to pride itself on entrepreneurialism and 
capitalism, imagine this is the safety net for capitalism and 
entrepreneurialism. Where is the money spent in Illinois' 12th 
Congressional District? It is put right back in the local economy to 
the stores, the pharmacies, et cetera.

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