U.S. Lieutenant Governors

While we work to improve the benefit delivery process, it is critical we increase Social Security benefits across the board.

We must protect and strengthen Social Security so that Americans of every generation can continue to access this essential lifeline.

Are you in agreement that there has been-- they have found no significant instances of corruption and siphoning off U.S. taxpayer money in Ukraine, or not going where it should go?

With all the money that has gone in there... were unable to find any significant corruption in Ukraine.

Prior to the war, Ukraine had a well-deserved reputation for being one of the most corrupt countries in the world.

It strikes me, too, that there are two very different buckets here. One is where the government itself is involved in the corruption versus ones where the government is trying to do something about it or at least looking the other way.

In fact, corruption is China's largest export.

They say, 'Well, things have changed because it is unpatriotic to be corrupt.'

We must also work more closely with Russia's neighbors to help them unwind the corrupt networks that both smuggle in sanctioned goods and undermine local governance.

Corruption is an issue that undermines the health, safety, security, and economic prosperity of billions of people around the globe.

Strategic corruption, the weaponization of corrupt practices for geopolitical gain, is a key vehicle for Russian and Chinese malign influence.

Russia keeps its war machine running by using corruption to evade sanctions.

I thank my colleague from Texas for yielding me the time and for bringing this piece of legislation forward. Mr. Speaker, we know that investing in preventive care benefits an individual's health and pocketbook in the long run…

I take seriously the responsibility for the millions of Americans who depend on Social Security, including the many seniors who live in poverty without these benefits.

All across Pennsylvania, I have never run into a senior or a recipient saying, you know what, we are getting too much, and we really need to think about, you know, we could cut back and tighten our belt.

If 80 percent of Americans support that, I am willing to bet that it is 99.999 percent of people that are recipients that support this program as well too.

This is like this whole kind of, you know, the sky is falling that it is bankrupt or any kinds of things like that.

I find it strange, it almost makes me giggle that, you know, we had members of the other side were more concerned about time calls, but now that their nominee is--discussing about cutting Social Security and things.

I would hope that in a bipartisan level that we want to protect that and strengthen it and address it and not turn it into a political football.

I always thought that Social Security was very sacred.

I would strongly suggest that you guys revisit your efforts in that regard and see how you might be able to make them more attractive so when they do bite on the hook that it is our hook and not the Chinese.

I have been intrigued by the fact that the Chinese have been modestly successful in these policing agreements that they have entered into with some of the countries.

Through these compacts we partner with them to advance economic prosperity, provide for U.S. military veterans from these nations, provide cooperation in areas of law enforcement and judicial training, and much more.

I passed the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act--I assume you are familiar with that--and it was in 2022, and it provides State with much needed flexibilities to stand up our overseas missions.