Sean Patrick Maloney: “If any of my colleagues were watching Meet the Press on Sunday, they may have seen a truly remarkable thing. The…”

“If any of my colleagues were watching Meet the Press on Sunday, they may have seen a truly remarkable thing. The gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) proposed that Social Security benefits should be based on race and gender. If we take the distinguished chairman at his word, he is proposing overt race and gender discrimination by the government. Apart from raising serious constitutional questions, this shocks the conscience. My colleagues can read excerpts from the transcript of his statement on Meet the Press in press clippings across the country and in Tuesday's Roll Call. The gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) said, Congress ``needs to examine how many years of retirement you get based on your race and you ought not to leave gender off the table because that would be a factor.'' Tim Russert, who seemed a bit taken aback by this, asked Thomas, ``So if someone is a woman and they live longer, they would get less per year?'' The gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) confirmed that is what he wants Congress to consider. Then Russert asked, ``Do you think Congress, Mr. Chairman, would accept any formula that said that people should be treated differently because of their gender or race?'' I can answer that question and I believe that I speak for many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle that the answer is a very strong no. We will never accept a Social Security formula based on race or gender.”