Political Quotes

“I want to thank my Illinois colleague, Chairman Rostenkowski, and the members of the committee who have worked to bring this bill to the floor. While there are a number of important changes being made in the administration of Social Security Programs, I would like to focus on reforms being implemented to restrict disability insurance and SSI disability payments to substance abusers. This issue came to the forefront in my district not long ago when the Decatur Herald and Review newspaper published a series of articles outlining deficiencies in our Social Security system. The bill we are approving today makes a number of important changes: Paying DI benefits to a representative payee. Having organizations, rather than family or friends serve as the representative payee. Conditioning eligibility for DI benefits on participation in a treatment program. Importantly, the bill also stops benefits to substance abusers after 36 months. As I discussed these proposals with my colleagues, including the gentleman from Wisconsin, Congressman Kleczka, I also sought the advice of the Honorable James A. Hendrian, who works through these cases on a daily basis in his courtroom. The judge tells troubling stories about persons receiving benefits for disabilities which are the direct result of criminal activity.”