John Larson

One gentleman who has been doing that consistently is the distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts, who, along with Mr. Inslee, headed up the Iraq Watch from the inception of this war, and who always provides us with insightful…

And you guys bring to the floor a political document, not designed for a new direction, or to bring the country together to discuss this issue the way it should be, but instead as talking points, outlined by Karl Rove in New Hampshire.

Has the administration now admitted that that will not in any way, shape, manner or form close the gap that exists?

I wanted to ask the leading Democrat on Social Security on the Committee on Ways and Means, the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin) discussed very eloquently and poignantly, as the gentlewoman pointed out in her letters, the number of…

So when the gentleman says the President's good blueprint will in fact weaken Social Security, that is exactly what it is doing?

Many have said at the hearings that I have conducted how Social Security for so many of them is their only source of income, and they look out and they see their pensions disappearing, they see cuts that are being made on a regular basis…

The monthly retirement benefit for a woman is $798. In America, could you live on $798 a month? This is what the guarantee is. But it does prevent these people from falling into the depths of poverty. It is what Franklin Delano Roosevelt…

But the President further goes on to now admit, as well as the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) points out, when the actuaries and the financial people have a chance to look at the proposed plan, that it does nothing to solve the…

It is interesting that they were friends during the Medicare debate but now that they have spoken out against Social Security, they are now a special interest group.

Reclaiming my time, did most of the individuals who attended the gentlewoman's forums and public hearings understand that Social Security benefits were not just retirement benefits, that they also provided survivor benefits?

This is confusing to some of our citizens. The gentleman from Michigan is an expert on this. He has served on the committee. Why does this transfer have to take place? Seniors are asking about this. Some have said, this is like taking a…

So this privatization plan will lead to a cut of more than 40 percent in benefits. We heard the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) say earlier that it does not even solve the gap or the supposed problem that the gentleman from Arizona…

When the gentleman says the privatization proposal, this is the so-called plan that perhaps the President may submit to us?

So these forums that the President is conducting are not open to the public, that you have to be invited by the President's people? Carl Rove?

Mr. Chairman, it is easy to conceive of the circumstances in which companies that print ballots or manufacture voting machines or paper or computer equipment could be disrupted by the same catastrophic events which are triggering the…

I simply disagree in principle with terms of the bill itself, notwithstanding my own position on the need for a constitutional amendment; but I do not think the bill before us gets the job done, and I think it imperils the very democratic…

A hearing was conducted on this back in April with the National Park Service testifying in favor of this study going forward. We have also, as was noted by the gentlewoman, received numerous support from State and local public officials…

I think Roosevelt said it best of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle: The Republicans seem frozen, frozen in the ice of their own indifference. Their indifference to what this proposal will mean to the elderly. The hypocrisy of…

So this is incredible when you think that this seems to be all part of a design, a design that is geared to in fact deny people over time the ability to respond to needs that we know, as your charts illustrate, with the baby boomers…

I am an enthusiastic cosponsor of this resolution authorizing the printing of the ``Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774 to 2005.'' The new and revised directory will contain more than 12,000 entries, as well as…

We do not have the numbers to stop whatever the majority will is. Within the Republican caucus reside Members like the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Gutknecht) who are in my mind true heroes in this body who are willing to go against the…

It is impossible to underwrite that actuarially. Every insurance man and CEO will say that. They have sworn under oath that is the case. The gentleman is right about this being a defining moment, not only for the respective parties, but…

The gentleman said earlier in the evening that while this is a benefit that will clearly benefit everyone with regard to prescription drugs, you said that this was like part D of the Medicare program. Could you explain that again, because…

I stand here very proud of the Democratic initiative and our efforts to bring this to the floor in a timely fashion and hopefully provide the relief that is so desperately needed by our seniors out there.

I am here to rise in strong support of this legislation. I understand the inherent interest of West Wendover and Wendover and how important it is for them to be connected. I applaud the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen), as he always does…