December 11, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 198 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Page H10021]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       SOCIAL SECURITY IS THE NORTH STAR OF HUMANE PUBLIC POLICY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Wisconsin (Ms. Moore) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I am just so thrilled and excited to be 
reintroducing my Social Security reform bill, the Social Security 
Enhancement and Protection Act of 2019.
  Today, our prized Social Security program is at risk. Currently, 
Social Security is fully funded until 2035 but faces a financial 
shortfall after that.
  And while there is broad agreement that we need to take steps to 
improve the fiscal outlook for Social Security, there is not enough 
attention given to the need to improve the system so that it works 
better for vulnerable populations, including women, people of color, 
and low-income people. My bill would both improve benefits and extend 
the program's solvency.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw your attention to three critical 
components of my bill:
  My bill would modify the special minimum benefit to credit workers 
for up to 5 additional years of work to reflect the years workers 
provide care for a child under 6 years old. This, of course, is 
especially important for women. We need to value caregiving and 
acknowledge that this uncompensated labor is not free. Mother work is 
work.
  My bill also extends the benefit eligibility for children of retired, 
disabled, or deceased workers who are full-time students enrolled in 
college or vocational schools up to the age of 26 years old.
  In this knowledge-based worldwide economy, this benefit needs to be 
reinstated. It was particularly helpful to students of color, low-
income families with parents working who were at higher risk, those 
with parents who were blue-collar workers, and women.
  My bill also provides additional benefits for all beneficiaries of 
any income age 20 years after their retirement. People who live beyond 
the age of 85--God bless them--tend to be more likely to be financially 
vulnerable, even with their Social Security benefit. They may have 
exhausted their savings by this point or have more serious health 
problems that may have been a drain on their finances or have faced any 
number of financial strains.
  Mr. Speaker, Social Security has become one of the hallmarks of our 
safety net, and I urge my colleagues to improve this system, which has 
been an integral part of our Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, Social Security is the North Star of humane public 
policy in the United States, and I would invite all of my colleagues 
the opportunity to cosponsor this legislation and vote for the Social 
Security Enhancement and Protection Act of 2019.

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