[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 13387]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   SOCIAL SECURITY'S 75TH ANNIVERSARY

  (Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 
upcoming 75th anniversary of Social Security and express my support for 
the financial security of millions of retired Americans.
  Representing Maryland's Fourth Congressional District, I serve many 
who oversee and administer the Social Security Administration. One of 
my constituents I had the honor of meeting out at Collington retirement 
community in Mitchellville, Maryland.
  Robert M. Ball was one of the chief architects of Social Security, 
the program we know today. Mr. Ball was Social Security's chief 
administrator from 1962 to 1973. He was described once as ``the 
undisputed spiritual leader, and its chief advocate and defender.'' He 
served three presidents, Republicans and Democrats, to make sure it 
remained strong for all of us. He passed away in January 2008, but he 
left a legacy barely known outside Washington, but a program that's the 
backbone of America's social safety net.
  At a time when Republicans are threatening the privatization of 
Social Security, Mr. Ball would say not now. Can you imagine what would 
have happened just a year ago when our Nation suffered its worst 
financial crisis since the Great Depression? Our seniors would have 
lost everything, and our young people would be starting from scratch. 
The American people deserve better. Democrats are going to give them 
better. And we need to get our economy back on track, put people back 
to work, contribute to Social Security, and strengthen our most 
successful program of the 21st century.

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