On the recordJuly 20, 2010
Mr. Speaker, as we approach the 75th anniversary of the founding of Social Security, it's a time to reflect on the generations and the hundreds of millions of Americans who through good times and bad counted on Social Security to be there to have dignity in retirement, to provide quality of life. There is millions of stories out there very similar to the one in my family. As a young man watching my father die of a lengthy illness, and a 9-year old brother at home, and a stay-at-home mother, watching Social Security survivor benefits be there to allow my little brother to go on and go to college and my mother to retrain as a nurse and go back into the workforce. Many people will say, and they're absolutely right, pull yourself up by your bootstraps. They are right about that. We just didn't have any boots. They were loaned to us by Social Security. And for that we have paid that back 10 times over. A family is stronger, a community is stronger, our country is stronger. In August we should celebrate the 75th anniversary and many more to come. ____________________





