[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 7578-7579]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



              SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM IN THE 106TH CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hefley). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Minge) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. MINGE. Mr. Speaker, in the last week there have been some very 
disturbing announcements about the status of Social Security reform in 
the 106th Congress, and I would like to express my severe 
disappointment that the majority leader in the Senate and possibly the 
Speaker of the House has backed away from a commitment that we ought to 
have here in Congress to make Social Security reform the number one 
priority for the 106th Congress.
  I do not think that there is a Member of this institution, nor are 
there many in this entire country, who is not aware of the importance 
of addressing the financial crisis that is looming for Social Security 
unless we take steps to change the program and make it financially 
secure for the foreseeable future.
  We can do this by modest changes here in 1999-2000; changes that we 
could implement over several years. They would not be painful if they 
are implemented in such a fashion and would share the cost among a 
generation or more of Americans. But if we continually postpone the 
reform effort, it will become more expensive, more contentious, and 
more of a crisis situation, which will be inadequate and enormously 
controversial when it occurs.
  I do not think it is right that we in Congress point our fingers to 
the White House and say the President has not provided enough 
leadership. We here in Congress ought to be providing leadership on our 
own. We should not do it for fear of criticism. Certainly that is why 
we are elected, to make some tough decisions. And if by voting for and 
implementing Social Security reform it is more difficult for us to be 
elected the next time around, that too is something that we should face 
up to.
  Tragically, there will always be another election. We never will 
reach the millennium, so to speak, when we have a free shot at 
reforming Social Security or something else without the controversy 
that accompanies the task.

[[Page 7579]]

  I would like to urge that the majority leader and the Speaker work 
together with the minority leader in this body and the minority leader 
in the Senate to appoint a bipartisan group to come back to this body 
this summer with a Social Security reform package. It is certain to 
have elements in it that are not acceptable to one group or another 
but, on the other hand, at least we would be moving ahead. Such a 
bipartisan group ought to confer with the White House and attempt to 
develop a proposal that would have the support of the President.
  I do not think today is too late. I do not think that the issue has 
somehow subsided. Yes, Kosovo has dominated the news, but people 
throughout America realize the importance of Social Security reform.

                              {time}  1815

  I would also like to emphasize that as we begin consideration of 
supplemental appropriations bills for the Kosovo crisis that we keep in 
mind that our historic pattern of using the Social Security surplus to 
pay for other programs will probably end up becoming a necessity in 
1999.
  Many of us on both sides of the aisle have identified this as an 
abuse that we can no longer tolerate. We ought to stop it in 1999. It 
ought to end now. No more borrowing from the Social Security trust fund 
for other Federal programs.
  The budget resolution that we have adopted makes that point clear. 
Unfortunately, it is for the year 2000. Let us implement it now in 
1999.
  I have worked with my Republican colleague, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Herger), to propose that this practice be terminated. 
And I am going to be meeting with him again and proposing that we take 
steps that would be effective to make sure that, here in 1999, we 
protect this Social Security trust fund from any further raids.
  We need to ensure, number one, that Social Security reform move ahead 
promptly; and number two, that we protect the trust fund from any 
further use.

                          ____________________