Chris Pappas: “I would like to respond to those on the other side who would like to turn Medicare and Social Security into another…”

“I would like to respond to those on the other side who would like to turn Medicare and Social Security into another welfare program. Are they seriously suggesting that the tax credit should count against the payroll taxes that are paid by American workers? Mr. Speaker, I am not sure if the liberals who are proposing this understand the consequences of what they are proposing. They are proposing that the politicians in Washington, get this, should create a brand new entitlement, the greatest something-for-nothing entitlement of all time. So instead of people paying their way during their working lives so that their retirement and health care needs will be met in old age, they should not have to pay into the system at all. Let us recap. Pay nothing but collect hundreds of thousands in benefits from a system that everyone else has to support. Payroll taxes are not income taxes, Mr. Speaker. Payroll taxes are for Social Security and Medicare. Let us not turn Social Security and Medicare into a massive welfare program that sticks it yet again to the middle class.”