J.C. Watts: “millions of older Americans are penalized every year simply because they set their alarm clocks to get up early in the…”

“millions of older Americans are penalized every year simply because they set their alarm clocks to get up early in the morning, get dressed and head off to work. But unlike the rest of us who pull into rush hour traffic in the morning, that 65 year old in the car next to yours is paying the government a fee to go to work that day. That fee is called the Social Security Earnings Limitation. My colleagues, today we can eliminate that fee and undo that injustice. Today we can begin to give America's senior citizens equal treatment under the nation's tax laws. Today we can guarantee that those senior Americans who want to continue to work--and can continue to work--today we can guarantee that they won't be penalized for making that contribution to their families, to their communities and to society in general. By allowing older Americans the opportunity to stay in the workforce without penalty, we are allowing them to supplement their incomes, we are helping them to stay healthier, and we are giving them the opportunity to add to their later retirement. This is especially important as we see more and more Americans living into the eighties, their nineties and even into their hundreds. So I encourage my colleagues today to give their older neighbors a fair break. Vote for the Senior Citizens' Freedom to Work Act.”