Today, nearly 10,000 Americans sign up for retirement benefits every day. The recession coupled with a slow economic recovery has resulted in a wave of new disability claims, increased backlogs and growing wait times for a frustrated…

I hope at some point soon, Mr. Chairman, we will finally have a hearing in this committee with jurisdiction on the issue of the Social Security Administration's budget which has been cut to the point where American citizens and those who…

The fact is the President, along with the Democrats and Republicans, have agreed to Social Security's funding levels.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thanks for holding this important hearing on tax reform and residential real estate.

I very much enjoyed working with the Vice Chair, the gentleman from New Jersey, Bill Pascrell, and we had our fill of meetings on real estate.

As a builder, we never include that as part of our computation.

I was once a homebuilder, so I understand the important role housing plays in our economy.

We know we have to do something to protect Social Security long term, and we will do that.

When we discuss Social Security, we should discuss it in that context of the reality and the truth of what Social Security is.

The Chained CPI affects not just seniors, disabled, children or widows, it affects veterans who will see benefits they have earned cut.

Innovation is the key to economic growth because it is how we can compete in a global marketplace.

Americans deserve a Social Security program they and their children and grandchildren can count on.

Easily. We are not going to quit paying Social Security. Let's face it.

Let us remember that a typical American middle income worker at the age of 65 under the Chained CPI would lose about $140 of his or her annual benefit if Chained CPI were to become the law.

But for innovation to succeed, there must be adequate capital to mature these inventions from the lab to market.

Mr. Chairman, I am looking forward to hearing the testimony because there is nothing more important than the security of Social Security.

Americans deserve action to protect and preserve Social Security, and the inclusion of Chained CPI in the President's budget is a welcome acknowledgement that we must take action to shore up the program for future generations.

We need to protect and preserve Social Security.

We made promises to people years ago that we cannot keep today and then we try to soft soap it and really, I wish policy were the driving force in this town and not politics.

I want to help veterans. Will they be better off if we have a debt crisis, folks?

If we really care about Americans, I do not care about Republican, Democrat, Independent, Libertarian, whatever you are in this country, there is always that ability to speak about it openly and do it the right way, but do it honestly…

Long term, yes. I hear a lot of talk from AARP and others that using chained CPI cuts benefits. Is that true? And I think it does.

If we fail to act, we threaten the prosperity of younger generations, a prospect your former boss, President Clinton, said would be horribly wrong and unfair.

I am encouraged that the President's budget took a first step toward protecting Social Security for today's workers.

I happen to agree with you.