[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10512]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       SOCIAL SECURITY AND WOMEN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Indiana (Ms. Carson) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of 
Social Security, the preservation of it for future generations, 
particularly with regard to women. As we know, there are more women in 
the United States than there are men; so it would be appropriate, then, 
to underscore the needs for women.
  Women represent a majority of Social Security recipients in the 
United States. According to the Social Security Administration, women 
make up almost 60 percent of all Social Security beneficiaries and 
approximately 71 percent of beneficiaries 85 years of age and older.
  Women rely heavily on Social Security because most do not receive 
private pensions; therefore, Social Security provides the foundation 
for most women's retirement security. Recent surveys indicate, Mr. 
Speaker, that over half of nonmarried women 65 and older receive 80 
percent or more of their income from Social Security.
  Although Social Security is helpful for women, it still has many 
inequalities. Social Security tends to protect families consisting of a 
lifelong paid worker, who is typically the husband. However, women who 
often leave the workforce temporarily to have children do not receive 
the same benefits. Estimated predictions state that the Social Security 
benefits currently received would be 36.6 percent higher if women were 
paid as much as men.
  However, inequalities within the Social Security system are not only 
to blame for women receiving less benefits than men. The wage gap 
continues to hinder equality among recipients based on gender. Although 
the Equal Pay Act became public in 1963, making it illegal to pay women 
lower rates for the same job strictly on the basis of sex, almost 4 
decades later the wage gap among women and men persists and this has a 
direct impact on Social Security. At the end of 2001, women's average 
monthly retirement benefit was, on average, $229 less than men's. Our 
retirement system is employment based, and women are unfairly penalized 
as they reach retirement age.
  However, Social Security was designed to be a guaranteed source of 
income for retired persons. Although both genders can sometimes find 
their benefits exhausted, women are particularly at risk. In my State 
of Indiana, not only is Social Security a necessity among women. It is 
crucial to many retirees, families, and disabled workers. In Indiana, 
benefits were paid to close to 1 million persons during the month of 
December, 2000. This number included over 600,000 retired workers, over 
100,000 widows and widowers, over 100,000 disabled workers, almost 
60,000 wives and husbands, and over 80,000 children. Social Security 
beneficiaries represent 16 percent of the total population of the State 
of Indiana, 95 percent of Indiana's population age 65 and older.
  Social Security is the heart of our Nation's insurance. When it was 
inspired and inaugurated under President Roosevelt in 1935, it was an 
excellent idea. It was a good idea then; it is a good idea now. It is 
both our fiscal and moral responsibility to provide our Nation's 
seniors, especially women, with the benefits that they so rightfully 
deserve. We cannot abandon our senior citizens and future generations. 
It would be a grave injustice to deprive them of Social Security 
benefits. Today's beneficiaries have worked long and hard, paid their 
taxes, earned their right to a happy and long retirement. It is the 
responsibility of Congress to make sure that this promise is kept.
  In Indiana, over 700,000 people receive Social Security benefits. Of 
that 700,000, Mr. Speaker, 60 percent of those beneficiaries are women, 
many of whom live in borderline poverty. We must not privatize Social 
Security. We must secure Social Security, Mr. Speaker.

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