[Page H953]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SOCIAL SECURITY IS THE NUMBER ONE ANTIPOVERTY PROGRAM IN UNITED STATES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Larson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak and 
address the Chamber about the Nation's number one antipoverty program 
for the elderly and the Nation's number one antipoverty program for 
children. I speak, of course, of Social Security.
  Social Security is currently under attack by the Trump administration 
with just this weekend, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Trump calling Social Security 
a scam and Mr. Musk calling Social Security a Ponzi scheme.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, I am sure as you know in your district, you have 
209,000 Social Security recipients: 157,000 are retirees; 25,000 plus 
are disabled workers; 10,000 are widows; 3,678 are spouses; and over 
12,000 are children. I don't believe that you think that Social 
Security and the checks that these people receive is a scam or that 
Social Security is a Ponzi scheme.
  In fact, in your district, $377 million comes into your district 
monthly that goes to those individuals. Where do they spend that money? 
They spend that money right back in your district at the grocery store, 
at the pharmacy, at the dry cleaners, heating and cooling their homes, 
paying their rent, their mortgage, and putting gasoline in their car.

  The brilliance of Franklin Delano Roosevelt still lives on. This is 
capitalism's answer to have a safety net for people, who through no 
fault of their own or because they work and ultimately end up retiring, 
have benefits that they can live on. It is especially more important as 
people are living longer. They need these benefits that are currently 
under siege by an administration who has asked Elon Musk to find $2 
trillion in cuts.
  Where is he looking? He is looking right at your district, Mr. 
Speaker, and my district, and the 435 congressional districts, who, on 
average, receive $200 million monthly from Social Security where, on 
average, the more than 145,000 people per district that receive these 
benefits go directly back to the local economy.
  We are looking for three Republicans to stand with a unified 
Democratic Party and Congress to push forward a bill that was last 
extended in 1971. Richard Nixon was President of the United States the 
last time Social Security benefits were extended for your constituents 
as well as my constituents in Connecticut.
  It is long overdue. We have a COLA that doesn't work. We have people 
that continue to work after they receive Social Security that are taxed 
on their benefits. We have had teachers and firefighters and police 
officers, as well, who have been denied benefits. Now, while they are 
eligible for them, they are not funded and so that money comes out of 
the trust fund.
  President Trump has now proposed a tax cut for Social Security that 
is unpaid for. That is over a $900 billion hit to Social Security and 
all the constituents who receive it.
  Mr. Speaker, I know you to be a man of goodwill and you understand 
your district and what your people need, as well. It is long overdue 
for the citizens of the United States to have their Social Security 
benefits enhanced, not cut.

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