On the recordSeptember 4, 2003
tonight, while we discuss issues, there are two global forces proceeding on a collision course. The first is the aging of society. This does not mean that each one of us is getting older, which is true, but rather that the elderly population is increasing more rapidly than the population as a whole. The second is that Social Security systems which provide most elderly people financial support are not sustainable as they are recently structured because as people are getting older the birthrate is also decreasing. The paths of these forces ultimately will affect most countries of the world, both developed and lesser developed. The wages of employees and workers will be going down and the security of the elderly and the people's very economic well-being will be disrupted. I would suggest, Mr. Speaker, that much is at stake and the challenges are real, but the opportunities are also unprecedented.
Source
govinfo.gov
