[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Pages 24936-24937]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            SOCIAL SECURITY

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, as you know, today the Social Security 
Administration announced there will be no COLA, or cost of living 
increase, next year for more than 50 million seniors. That is the first 
time in 35 years that situation has occurred, and it worries me very 
much.
  About a month ago, I introduced legislation which the occupant of the 
chair is a cosponsor of, along with Senators Leahy, Dodd, Stabenow, 
Begich, and Casey.
  I ask unanimous consent to add Senator Mikulski and Senator Tom Udall 
as cosponsors of S. 1685.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. SANDERS. We are all saying that in the midst of this major 
economic downturn, the worst recession since the Great Depression, 
while we are keenly concerned about the 9.8 million Americans who are 
unemployed officially, the Americans who have given up looking for 
work, the millions of Americans who are working part time when they 
want to work full time--when you add that all together, that is 
something like 17 percent of our workforce, about 26 million Americans. 
We are concerned about that issue, and we have to do everything we can 
to make sure we get this economy going in a way that benefits not just 
Wall Street but ordinary Americans.
  While we remain concerned about the need to start creating the 
millions of jobs the middle class in this country desperately need, we 
cannot turn our backs on the senior citizens of this country. What we 
are seeing today is that millions of seniors are facing extremely high 
prescription drug costs. They are facing very high health care costs. 
We have to address that issue.
  The legislation I introduced--and it was introduced by Congressman 
DeFazio in the House--would provide a one-time $250 payment for more 
than 50 million seniors and disabled veterans. We would pay for that 
cost of about $14 billion by raising the Social Security tax on people 
who earn between $250,000 and $359,000, on a 1-year basis--about $14 
billion.
  What I am delighted about is that yesterday President Obama announced 
his support for the concept of a $250 one-time payment to our seniors 
on Social Security and to disabled veterans. He did not yet determine, 
in his judgment, the best way to fund that program. I think it is a 
real step forward that he is doing that. I am delighted that the 
majority leader, Senator Reid, has also been very strong on saying we 
have to make sure our seniors get some help this year, as has Speaker 
Pelosi and the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Congressman 
Rangel. I think we are making some real steps in the right direction.
  Let me quote what the President said because I think he was right on:

       Even as we seek to bring about recovery, we must act on 
     behalf of those hardest hit by this recession. That is why I 
     am announcing my support for an additional $250 in emergency 
     recovery assistance to seniors, veterans, and people with 
     disabilities to help them make it through these difficult 
     times. These payments will provide aid to more than 50 
     million people in the coming year, relief that will not only 
     make a difference for them, but for our economy as a whole, 
     complementing the tax cuts we've provided working families 
     and small businesses through the Recovery Act.


[[Page 24937]]


  I very much appreciate that support from the President.
  The bottom line is that this legislation is now in our jurisdiction. 
My hope and expectation is that we are going to move it as quickly as 
possible. With the President's support, we should be able to accomplish 
that in a short while.
  In Vermont, I can tell you there are many seniors making the 
difficult choice about whether or not to heat their homes or pay for 
prescription drugs. Those are choices Americans should not have to 
make. Many seniors are also going to be seeing an increase in the cost 
of Medicare Part D.
  If we do not deliver on this one-time $250 payment, you are going to 
see millions of seniors with a reduced amount in their Social Security 
check. That is not acceptable.
  I think we are making some progress on this issue. Again, I thank 
Senator Reid for his strong support, Speaker Pelosi for her support, 
and most important, the President for his support. Let's get this done 
on behalf of seniors and disabled veterans. I think we will have done 
something that is very important.
  With that, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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