On the recordJanuary 10, 2024
I thank Mr. Larson for being the voice of Social Security and the voice of the future. I rise today for almost 150,000 recipients in my district in southern New Jersey, the First District, for those American families who have worked hard, played by the rules, and paid their taxes, as we all do. For so many Americans, Social Security is all they have at the end of their career. Since 1935, Social Security has provided stability, security, and protection for America's seniors. That protection and stability is needed as we stare down that looming retirement security crisis in 2035, literally 100 years since Social Security started. One in three Americans have less than $5,000 saved. Fewer workers have access to a pension. Stagnant wages make it harder for people to save. Rarely do I say there is a good side or a bad side because it is usually in the middle. Well, there is no gray here. Social Security is clear. We need to protect it and expand the system that saves seniors or soon-to-be seniors. Americans expect a future, and they earned a future where they can retire with dignity, and we need to work hard for them. The GOP once again is threatening to cut Social Security for people who don't have anywhere else to go. The fear that our seniors are going through when you hear about that fiscal commission is nothing short of cruelty. That is why I am proud to be a sponsor of John's Social Security 2100 Act. I will always fight for those seniors.
