Political Quotes

“I am pleased to support legislation making the Social Security Administration an independent agency. Social Security is an important trust between Americans and their Government. It asks for a commitment from workers to contribute--and promises income assistance in retirement years. Yet the trust is too often threatened by Washington politics; leaving seniors--and all Americans--to question whether the Government will hold up its end of the promise. Independent agency status will improve administration of Social Security by enabling the agency to attract and retain talented leadership. In the past 18 years, Social Security has had 12 different administrators, often with periods in between when there was no administrator. With independent status will come increased stature and stability for Social Security. As we continue to struggle with the Federal budget, I am concerned about attempts to balance the budget on the backs of senior citizens and the disabled. Numerous seniors from North Dakota have contacted me about their fears of cuts to Social Security. By making Social Security independent, I believe we send a message to seniors that we recognize the importance of this program. Many Americans in the work force today truly believe that Social Security will not be there for them in their retirement years. I want to make sure that Social Security is a viable program for generations to come.”