[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2899]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



             LET US STRENGTHEN SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE

  (Mr. CUMMINGS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, when some extra change comes our way, put 
it somewhere safe for a rainy day. As old as this adage may seem, it is 
a life lesson that has escaped some of my colleagues on the other side 
of the aisle.
  Our grandmothers who planted this concept in our ears while giving us 
a few extra dollars might now frown upon the careless proposals set 
forth by the GOP with respect to our budget surplus.
  With the rainy days that many forecast, the budget surplus should be 
put in the safest places. The budget surplus should be put in Social 
Security for the rainy day FY 2023, where some predict the fund may 
face depletion. It should be placed in Medicare to protect us from the 
rainy day of rising costs in the area of cost care for our elderly. It 
should be used to begin wiping away the cloud of our national debt.
  The grandparents who shared their wisdom are the same people who will 
benefit from our responsible actions. Let us follow the advice of those 
who know best. Let us strengthen Social Security and Medicare. Let us 
pay down the national debt. Let us use our budget surplus to safeguard 
against a coming rainy day.

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