Political Quotes

“I begin by thanking my colleague, Congressman John Larson, for his thoughtful, courageous leadership on this issue, crafting Social Security 2100, which is the only comprehensive, paid-for measure which enhances Social Security and averts the 2034 cliff that this country is going to encounter if Congress does not act. As Mr. Larson stated, when the social insurance program was created in 1935, signed into law by Franklin Roosevelt, it was created as an insurance program. Congress, over time and on numerous occasions, has reformed the bill to protect the basic promise, which was made by the Congress and by President Roosevelt, to make sure that people who are retired, children who have lost a parent, and in recent times, people with disability are protected from the vagaries of life. Again, we have stepped forward and taken care of challenges, fiscal challenges, that the law has encountered. What John's bill would do, in essence, is extend the solvency of Social Security to 2066. We would avoid the cliff that we are going to hit in 2035. It would not gouge or cut any benefits. The Republican Study Committee is talking about raising the retirement age. That is a Social Security cut for people who have paid into this program out of payroll year in and year out. It increases the benefits by 2 percent on average for all beneficiaries. It rebases the program so that people will not receive Social Security and be below the poverty line.…”