Matt Cartwright: “By not participating, aren't the States that aren't leaving billions of Federal dollars on the table that could be used…”

I thank Ranking Member Larson for yielding. I wonder if he would submit himself to a few questions and engage in a colloquy. Will the gentleman yield?

You know that in northeastern Pennsylvania, our economy has been bumping along since the decline of coal mining, since NAFTA, which bestowed benefits and burdens across our nation, but unevenly across our geography.

I have one final question for Ranking Member Larson. This idea of raising the retirement age, as the gentleman has explained very well, constitutes a cut in benefits for every year Republicans raise it. Economists have worked out how much…

These are men and women that have dedicated their lives to the protection of American citizens.