Political Quotes

“I have an amendment to offset the costs to the Social Security's disability insurance trust fund associated with S. 578. Eventhough my amendment did not gain the 60 vote threshold, I want my colleagues to know that you just can't tap into the Social Security disability trust funds without dire future consequences. S. 578 waives a waiting period in the disability program for the compelling case of patients with ALS. There are, of course, other compelling cases. And we have to be mindful of the disability trust fund which will eventually face depletion. As the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, which is an umbrella organization representing advocates for a number of disabling conditions, puts it: ``Bills that only fix the problem for some people who meet the strict eligibility standards for SSDI are likely to lead to interest groups requesting waiver of wait periods for other impairments.'' So it is likely that Congress will see more requests for waivers of waiting periods for those afflicted with disabilities arising from conditions other than ALS. Waiting periods in the disability insurance program were put into law for various policy reasons. When we waive waiting periods for specific conditions, some of which are terribly disabling and even fatal, we change the nature of the disability program. We change benefits and don't have any offsetting change to the tax that funds the disability insurance trust fund or any offsetting change to other benefits.…”