[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6380]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               URGENT NEED TO STRENGTHEN SOCIAL SECURITY

  (Mr. GINGREY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the urgent need 
to strengthen Social Security.
  It is often said the first step to recovery is admitting you have a 
problem. Well, we have a problem. We have a serious problems.
  Analysts predict that Social Security will be bankrupt by 2042. That 
may seem a far way off but, in reality, it means Social Security will 
not be around when today's 20-year-olds retire.
  Since the 1930s, we have seen medical advances, technological 
advances, transportation advances, but we have not seen Social Security 
advances. We have to make this program sustainable for current and 
future demographics. We cannot do that if we are stuck using a 1935 
model.
  Let me be clear. When we talk about reforming the system, we are 
talking about strengthening Social Security for future generations, not 
weakening today's retirees or near retirees, who will get every single 
benefit they have been promised. While Social Security will not change 
for today's seniors, we have to fix the system for tomorrow's seniors.
  My colleagues on the other side of the aisle may be content to make 
Social Security a political issue, but I am not. Our children's future 
is too important for political posturing. My concern is more about the 
next generation than the next election.

                          ____________________