'People In America Should Be Outraged': John Larson Rails Against 'Inaction' on Social Security

4 days ago

During remarks on the House floor, Rep. John Larson (D-CT) called for Congress to take up meaningful Social Security improvements.

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Transcript

00:00Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to address the body with regard to Social

00:06Security and the lack of congressional action. It might interest people in the

00:13audience, Mr. Speaker, to know that it's been over 50 years since Congress has

00:18enhanced Social Security on behalf of its recipients. That's why we've

00:25introduced legislation specifically to address this issue. Yet, Mr. Speaker, at

00:31the same time, we see that Mr. Musk has been charged by the President of the

00:36United States to cut two trillion dollars from the budget. And Mr. Musk has

00:44made no bones about the fact that he plans to privatize Social Security,

00:51Medicare, amongst others. Social Security, Medicare, and Defense, as a number of

00:57people in the audience know, makes up more than 70% of the budget. He's been

01:02instructed to find two trillion. Coincidentally, that's just about how

01:08much Trump's tax cut for the wealthiest 1% is. Two trillion dollars. Where will it

01:15come from, Mr. Speaker? Obviously, he has his designs on Social Security. The only

01:22one of those entities, Defense, Medicare, and Medicaid, that has a trust fund. A

01:27trust fund of two trillion point seven billion dollars. All of hard-working

01:35people's money. It might surprise you, Mr. Speaker, to know that in your district

01:41you have over a hundred and eighty three thousand Social Security

01:46recipients. Over 13,000 who are disabled. 7,000 plus children. 8,000 widows. 4,000

01:57spouses. But here's the critical thing. That Republicans should wake up in this

02:03time of inflation. Your district, and every district on average, by the way,

02:09receives more than 200 million dollars monthly for its Social Security

02:16recipients. Your district, Mr. Speaker, receives 354 million dollars. That hasn't

02:25been changed since 1971. People in America should be outraged by the fact

02:34that Congress has not fulfilled its responsibility to act on behalf of its

02:42citizens. Social Security is the number one insurance program in the country

02:49serving over 70 million people. 10,000 baby boomers a day become eligible for

03:00Social Security and Congress continues to ignore them and ignore their needs.

03:08Shamefully, more than 5 million of our fellow Americans get below poverty level

03:16checks from the wealthiest nation in the world and the most successful insurance

03:22program because of congressional inaction. Most of those 5 million are

03:28women and among those, most of them are women of color. People have been taxed on

03:38their Social Security when they continue to work after retirement and that is

03:43false as well. We've had a proposal, Mr. Chairman, to correct all of that, to

03:50change it, and oh by the way, pay for it. And how do we do that, Mr. Chairman? Very

03:57simple. We lift the cap on people who pay nothing or very little or are through

04:05paying the first day and second day of January. Lifting the cap on people, as

04:12President Biden proposed, over 400,000 will provide us the benefits and the

04:18solvency that Social Security needs. Why is it that hard-working people in this

04:24gallery should pay into a system all their lives and get a benefit and yet

04:30billionaires can be excluded and don't have to pay in the same amount or some

04:36totally circumvent the law altogether and pay nothing? It's long overdue, Mr.

04:43Chairman. Don't you agree for a vote to take place for all the citizens in your

04:49district, the more than 300 million dollars that comes in? Imagine what that

04:55does to the local economy in your district, how it will help out the local

05:00grocery store, the pharmacy, and most importantly, the individual families in

05:06that region. Stand up, Mr. Speaker and Republicans. Join us in enhancing Social

05:14Security. The gentleman's time has expired.

'People In America Should Be Outraged': John Larson Rails Against 'Inaction' on Social Security

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